Campaign aide to President Donald Trump, Katrina Pierson, explained away his lack of Black staffers in the West Wing by comparing Trump to Abraham Lincoln.
“Historically, Republicans and Democrats have had major figures of the Black community in the West Wing as part of their senior staff and administration,” MSNBC host Al Sharpton said Sunday. “Who are the Blacks in the West Wing under President Trump?”
“You mean those who actually took the job or those who’ve been offered? Because those are entirely different questions,” Pierson said. Sharpton cut in to give specific guidance for the question, but Pierson just talked louder over the pastor. “I was offered Sarah Sanders’ job!”
"Wait a minute, let me ask you the question," Sharpton said. “I can understand why you’re nervous."
“I’m not going to participate if you’re going to continue to paint this president as racist,” Pierson went off, arbitrarily. She then tried to change the subject to reparations; a topic conservatives have been playing up to force Democrats to respond to the issue.
One Sharpton finally moved the conversation back to the lack of color in the West Wing, Pierson claimed: "there's plenty of Black people in the West Wing."
“Well, I asked you to name them, and you started telling me -- you turned down,” Sharpton continued.
“Because I’m not going to participate in the attempt to make this all about race. It’s ridiculous. How many Black people were in Abraham Lincoln’s West Wing?” Pierson asked.
Sharpton and Democratic commentator David Brock blasted the response.
“Is Abraham Lincoln a racist because he didn’t have a Black person in the White House? The this is insane. This is an insane discussion,” Pierson continued to rant.
“You can’t name a Black in the West Wing because we can’t find one, Katrina,” Sharpton said. “I pity you, I’d sympathize with you, but telling me you applied, and other people? Come on. It’s unthinkable in the 21st century that even a spokesperson for President Trump can’t name a Black in the West Wing."
Sharpton said that he gave Pierson every opportunity to answer the questions and respond to the issue. She clearly squandered it.
Watch the clip below:
