Black men are increasingly drifting from the Democratic to the Republican Party, according to an Election Day poll of voters.
General support for the Democratic presidential candidate among Black men slipped during Tuesday’s vote — highlighting an apparent shift among a key political demographic over the last three elections, according to the survey conducted by NBC News.
While 82% of Black men voted for Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016, only 80% showed up for Joe Biden on Election Day 2020, the network reported.
By comparison, when Barack Obama was first elected president in 2008, 95% of Black men cast a vote for the Democrat, but four years later only 87% of Black men cast a ballot for the president’s 2012 reelection, a dramatic fall of 8%.
Obama’s support among Black women remained at 96% during both wins. Clinton saw 94% support among Black women in 2016, but that demographic slid to 91% for Biden on Tuesday, the network reported, adding that Biden still received 9 of 10 votes from Black female voters.
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Driving the data in the survey was 52% of Black men who said they identified as politically conservative and that they voted for President Donald Trump.
NBC reported that 1 in 3 Black men residing in the Midwest voted for the incumbent.
The numbers also suggested a correlation between a person’s education level and the vote they cast.
Trump saw 26% support among Black men who said they had a high school diploma or less. But Trump’s support fell to 22% among Black men with bachelor’s degrees and even lower to 20% among Black men with advanced college degrees, NBC reported.
Democratic candidates have historically held the strongest support among Black voters and have been routinely helped win office with strong turnout in major American cities with thriving Black populations.
Trump also won endorsements from Black celebrities including rapper Lil Wayne, and the president’s campaign also reportedly reached out to rapper Ice Cube about establishing an investment plan for Black America.
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