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Fox News pundit Raymond Arroyo was criticized after claiming that Black voters are turning away from President Joe Biden and toward former President Donald Trump in the November election because “they love sneakers.”
Arroyo made the remarks after Trump introduced the new sneakers—which retail at $399 a pair—at "Sneaker Con" on February 17, receiving both boos and cheers from the audience.
The shiny gold high tops feature an American flag detail on the back and are named "Never Surrender High-Tops." They are priced at $399 and sold on a new website that also offers other Trump-branded shoes, along with "Victory47" cologne and perfume for $99 a bottle.
The website, operated by CIC Ventures LLC, a company Trump reported owning in his 2023 financial disclosure, claims to be non-political and unrelated to any political campaign. Despite this, it promotes the sneakers as a limited-edition, numbered "true collector's item" that is "Bold, gold, and tough, just like President Trump."
During a segment on Fox's Big Weekend Show, Arroyo contrasted Trump's seemingly resilient poll numbers amid legal challenges, including a recent $364 million judgment in a New York civil fraud case, with Biden's supposed declining approval among minorities.
He claimed that Black Americans, particularly in the inner city, would be drawn to Trump's sneaker line, stating:
“[Trump] somehow survives, which must drive his opponents crazy, because even the sneaker thing. I was on social media last night. Very interesting as you see Black support eroding from Joe Biden."
“This is connecting with Black America because they love sneakers! They’re into sneakers… this is a big deal, certainly in the inner city. So when you have Trump roll out his sneaker line, they’re like, ‘Wait a minute, this is cool!’”
“He’s reaching them on a level that defies and is above politics. The culture always trumps politics, and Trump understands culture like no politician I’ve ever seen.” ...
“Anybody willing to put 400 bucks down for a pair of sneakers? Yeah, I think that’s commitment and love. It’s something, it’s affection on some level."
"I don’t think this is just for collectors. It’s for people who want Donald Trump-brand sneakers that, again, he’s connecting on a different level.”
You can hear his remarks in the video below.
While there is some polling suggesting increased Black support for Trump in the upcoming election, Arroyo's remarks warrant skepticism because conservatives inaccurately predicted record Black American support for Trump in the 2020 election, with Biden ultimately securing 92 percent of the Black vote compared to Trump's 8 percent.
His remarks shamelessly leaned directly into racial stereotypes, prompting many to accuse him of racism.
Trump's foray into the sneaker market faced harsh criticism on a recent segment of The Daily Show after comedian Josh Johnson presented Trump's new shoe line to sneaker enthusiasts, asking them if they would "cop or drop" the Trump-branded sneakers.
The responses were less than favorable, with one person noting that while there are no strict "rules in fashion," they "personally would not wear them." Another gave a definitive "hard pass," criticizing the shoes for looking "very 2009, dated" and "trying to be chic but also very nationalistic." The same person said the shoes are so lackluster that no one would steal them.
Still another joked that while the shoes would not lead the wearer to be "indicted by the judicial system," they would absolutely lead to "being indicted by society." One man even said that in the event Trump goes to prison, the shoes will probably go for "$20K ... because people go for that."