Trump Rally Promotes Fringe Conspiracy Group - Advance Team Should Have Known Better

At President Trump’s first campaign rally, held in Melbourne, Florida four weeks into his administration, an enthusiastic crowd of 9,000 (according to the Melbourne Police Department and USA Today) cheered as First Lady Melania Trump read the Lord’s Prayer. Behind her several fans held “BlacksforTrump 2020.com” signs.

Photos and videos were widely shared on social media including Twitter and Facebook, especially by religious people who were touched that Melania had read the prayer. In sharing Melania's photo, the signs behind her were also widely shared. Reporters who had covered the first campaign recognized the people and the group providing a prominent backdrop for the First Lady's prayer.

Source: CNN

The “Blacks for Trump” group was well-represented at Trump rallies during the campaign. An article in New York Magazine, published in October of 2016, identified one of the men holding a sign as a former Yahweh ben Yahweh cult member well known in south Florida as “Michael the Black Man.”

According to Miami New Times, “Michael the Black Man” is also known as Maurice Woodside or Michael Symonette. The Yahweh ben Yahweh cult was led by Hulon Mitchell, Jr., Black supremacist founder of a religious movement, who served time in prison for crimes including conspiracy in a series of gruesome murders in Florida.

Last October, in the final weeks of a contentious and combative campaign, Trump mentioned the group, who held signs that said “Blacks for Trump Gods2.com,” from the podium at a rowdy rally in Lakeland, Florida. 

Source: New York Magazine / ABC News Politics/ Twitter

A look at the website shows that the group (which, according to CNN journalist Joy Ann Reid, has about 4 members), promotes a mix of religious references and  conspiracy theories related to the Illuminati ISIS, and world war.

Since this group was prominently shown in numerous photos and videos during the campaign, it is surprising that the advance team for President Trump’s 2020 campaign did not research the group before allowing them front row attention (and free advertising) at his first rally of this new, albeit early, campaign season.

The New York Magazine article can be found here.
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/10/the-blacks-for-trump-guy-is-a-former-cult-member.html
 
The Miami New Times article can be found here.
http://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/the-blacks-for-trump-guy-at-florida-rally-is-former-yahweh-ben-yahweh-cult-member-8843111
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Much of the material on the “Blacks for Trump” website is offensive or violent. Therefore, Reason and Justice has decided not to link to the site.

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