Man who Trump once called 'my African-American' is leaving the GOP over its 'pro-white' agenda

Gregory Cheadle.
(Image credit: Rich Pedroncelli/AP)

Three years after President Trump referred to a black campaign rally attendee as "my African-American," the man has decided to leave the Republican party and launch a 2020 campaign for the House of Representatives as an independent.

Four-time GOP congressional candidate Gregory Cheadle told PBS Newshour about his dissatisfaction with the Republican party and the Trump administration, saying the party is pursuing a "pro-white" agenda and using black people as "political pawns." Cheadle reportedly aligned with the Republican party fiscally, but the GOP's response to a slew of recent racial attacks by Trump on several congresswomen of color and Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) made him re-evaluate his affiliation.

"They were sidestepping the people of color issue and saying that, 'No, it's not racist,'" Cheadle told PBS. "They were saying these people were socialists and communists ... And I thought this is a classic case of whites not seeing racism because they want to put blinders on and make it about something else."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Cheadle also criticized the racial makeup of Trump's judicial nominees, who are predominantly white. He wouldn't go so far as to label Trump a racist, instead saying he believes the president has a "white superiority complex."

Cheadle's words are a major change of tune from his feelings in 2016. After Trump famously told people at his campaign rally to "look at my African-American over here," Cheadle at the time said he was "startled" by people who were offended by the comments, adding that the country is so "polarized and sensitive."

"I'm more critical of it today than I was back then because today I wonder to what extent he said that for political gain or for attention," Cheadle told PBS. Read more at PBS Newshour.

To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Marianne Dodson

Marianne is The Week’s Social Media Editor. She is a native Tennessean and recent graduate of Ohio University, where she studied journalism and political science. Marianne has previously written for The Daily Beast, The Crime Report, and The Moroccan Times.