Carson Mentions Blake Family Directly in RNC Speech

27 August 2020 | “Our hearts go out to the Blake family and the other families who’ve been impacted by the tragic events in Kenosha,” said Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson in his remarks at the Republical National Convention tonight.

Carson, the only Adventist in President Donald Trump’s cabinet, voiced his support for the family of Jacob Blake, the Black man shot seven times in the back by police in Kenosha, Wis., on Sunday.

Carson is the highest Trump administration official to directly mention Blake.

The former neurosurgeon defended Trump, saying the president does “not dabble in identity politics.”

Carson attempted to counter claims of racism leveled at Trump:

“Many on the other side love to incite division by claiming that President Trump is a racist,” Carson said. “They could not be more wrong. Years ago, Jesse Jackson gave Donald Trump an award for the economic opportunities he created for Black people.”

He added that “African American unemployment was at an all-time low” before the coronavirus pandemic.