Al Sharpton Battles Pastor Mark Burns: ‘Name One Thing’ Trump Has Done to Help Black America
An MSNBC panel went off the rails on Saturday when Al Sharpton challenged Trump-loving pastor Mark Burns to name a single policy President Donald Trump has enacted to help the African-American community.
Speaking of Kanye West and his support of Trump, Burns opined, “We should be applauding he’s a free-thinking black man who believes President Trump has policies. Whether you like him personally or not, his policy [sic] is the best for black workers in this country.”
Sharpton just wasn’t having it.
“If you claim the Democratic Party put blacks in the back of the bus, then they ought to name the policies of Donald Trump what has helped black America,” Sharpton replied. “So, show me in any instance where the president has reached out to do anything with black America.”
In lieu of a direct response, Burns started to talk about his arrest record and time on welfare.
“What’s important for the viewers to understand it is by the sweat of my brow that I am where I am,” Burns insisted. “A man who was once on welfare. writing a book right now called ‘From Welfare To The White House.’ I was on food stamps. I’ve been arrested. I know what it is like to feel belittled because of the color of your skin.”
That is when Sharpton pounced.
“First of all, you and I made it by the sweat of our brows because we were allowed to. Our parents and grandparents were not able to do that. We were able to do it because under Lyndon Johnson we got a Voting Rights Act,” he lectured the younger pastor, who at one point tried to interject.
“Name me one!” Sharpton challenged.
He continued on: “We got affordable care. we got a criminal justice initiative where President Obama commuted the sentence — you talk about you’ve been to jail — he commuted the sentences of nonviolent drug offenders more than the last 11 presidents put together. He sent the Justice Department of Eric Holder into court to maintain our voting rights.”
“Name me one thing!” Sharpton challenged.
At that point, the fireworks continued and the segment devolved into cross-talk and shouting match between the two, who both refused to concede their case or their airtime.
“Pastor, you’re not strong because you yell loud!” Sharpton said.
Watch above, via MSNBC.
[image via screengrab]
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