President-elect Donald Trump, a 34-time criminally convicted, twice impeached, and 26-time alleged sexual predator, will be inaugurated for his second term on January 20, 2025, MLK Day, of all days.
Some Black individuals are looking at the upcoming year with a sidelong glance just because of that fact.
However, Black people’s concerns about the near future go beyond the hilariously symbolic.
Trump’s first term left many Black Americans with a bad taste in their mouths, as hate crimes against them and other minority groups significantly increased. Additionally, Trump’s first term included anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant, anti-Black, and anti-Asian language. Many predict a return to violence and prejudice as Trump prepares to recapture the presidency.
Black people had serious concerns about Trump 2.0, according to several national polls, including the 2024 American Electorate Voter Poll. Many people’s anxieties have only increased since his victory on November 5, particularly in relation to the possible implementation of Project 2025’s policies. Together with 123 other conservative think groups, the Heritage Foundation created the comprehensive plan for a radical conservative reorganization of the federal government.
Trump’s cabinet picks are a major factor in the anxiety that many Black people feel about the prospects for 2025. Some of those nominees and the possible effects of their leadership on Black America are listed below.
US ATTORNEY GENERAL
Even though former US Congressman Matt Gaetz withdrew from consideration for the position of U.S. Attorney General, the country’s top law enforcement official, his initial selection by Trump for numerous positions portends danger.
It’s unsettling enough that Gaetz is under investigation for funding many sex sessions with a juvenile. The willingness of Gaetz to follow Trump’s orders, supported by the vast investigative authority that comes with being the U.S. AG, was what many were most afraid of. Trump’s primary campaign promise to exact revenge on his adversaries, with the U.S. AG serving as the point person, exacerbates these anxieties.
Gaetz recently declared, “I’m going to be fighting for President Trump,” to Charlie Kirk, an ultra-conservative TV personality. Like always, I’m going to comply with his requests.
Once more, Gaetz is no longer a candidate for that role. However, Trump still wants Pam Bondi, his new U.S. AG nominee, to submit to his retaliation and revenge ambitions with the same unquestioning obedience that Gaetz did.
Impact of Black
Black media in particular and other non-conservative media in general would not fare well under such a strategy. Additionally, Trump has named several prominent figures, including Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama, VP Kamala Harris, former U.S. Congresswoman Liz Cheney, New York Attorney General Letitia James, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, and others to hisenemies list.
Trump has threatened to revoke the broadcasting licenses of several media outlets, including ABC, so it stands to reason that any entities guilty of criticizing Trump, including historic civil rights organizations (NAACP, National Urban League), could find themselves investigated.
Dion Craig, an attorney in the Houston area, stated, “I think a lot of the retribution and revenge rhetoric is just talk, but talk that I think should be taken seriously.” It was possible to assault people in extremely subtle ways. Not dotting an I or crossing a T could be misconstrued and used as having some criminal intent placed behind it to justify witch-hunting projects, which he probably will engage in.
Craig says with Republicans controlling all three branches of the government, it will be easier for Trump-generated falsehoods and witch hunts to be implemented.
HOUSING
Trump s pick to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is, so far, his only African American cabinet appointee, former NFL player and Texas legislator Scott Turner.
Though little is known about Turner, Trump s first-term HUD head, Dr. Ben Carson, focused on policies like the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program. RAD was created to repair aging public housing but came with a partner initiative closing public housing deemed too expensive to fix. The result scores of families with Section 8 vouchers left with few landlords willing to accept them, as Word In Black reporter Jennifer Porter Gore reported.
Impact of Black
Courtney Johnson Rose, the Houston resident and president of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers, believes Trump s impact on housing will be significant.
The impact of a second Trump term on housing will be tremendous, said Rose. I anticipate less funding for HUD and programs that address homelessness and assistance for low and moderate-income families, as well as a decrease in protection for protected classes, which include race, gender, and sexual orientation.
Rose also sees potential housing positives under Trump.
On the brighter side, I anticipate more development of housing, incentives for developers and home builders to boost the amount of inventory which is needed to increase opportunities for homeownership and to manage the rising cost of buying.
Rose also has concerns about the effectiveness of a Trump plan with the potential elimination of a very large percentage of the construction labor force (undocumented immigrants) through mass deportation. She cites a potential labor shortage, labor costs increases, and inflation due to the effect of tariffs, forcing interest rates to stay high.
EDUCATION
Staying on brand, Trump nominated someone with no education experience to head the Department of Education, Linda McMahon, co-founder of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).
Yet, she does have experience consistent with Trump and several of his other nominees accusations of sexual harassment.
That aside, McMahon is all in on school Choice, a movement that wants public tax dollars used to fund private school tuitions, which are generally beyond the budgets of most Black households. In a statement, Trump said McMahon will fight tirelessly to expand Choice to every State in America, and empower parents to make the best education decisions for their families.
Impact of Black
McMahon s confirmation, however, could be bad news for Black K-12 students in public schools, affecting everything from school funding to civil rights protections for vulnerable groups, including students who identify as LGBTQ+, wrote Word In Black Education Reporter Quintessa Williams.
OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET
Besides U.S. Congress, the person who heads the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has immense power over nearly the entire government. For, nothing can happen without funding.
That said, Trump s nominee Russell Vought, known as the primary architect of Project 2025, has many Black people concerned. To them, Vought poses a direct threat to decades of advancements in civil rights for minorities and LGBTQ+ individuals.
Impact of Black
As OMB head, Vought could potentially oversee the national dismantling of DEI programs and civil rights enforcement mechanisms. Additionally, Vought could exacerbate existing healthcare access disparities by proposing budget cuts and policy changes that could disproportionately impact minority communities. Vought is on record promoting more restrictive immigration policies. These will impact both Brown and Black immigrants and their families.
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