Kathy Miller apologizes and resigns as Donald Trump‘s campaign chair in Mahoning County, Ohio after getting embroiled in a controversy over racism in America.
This week, Miller took part in The Guardian‘s “Anywhere but Washington” series, where she had a lot to say about African-Americans.
The series features a reporter driving around America and talking to voters and local officials about the 2016 election. Miller worked as a coordinator for the Trump and Mike Pence campaign in Mahoning County – which is historically Democratic.
The interview started in typical fashion with Miller describing her efforts to get more people to join the Republican party. The British reporter asked Miller her thoughts on the idea that “Trump has been able to make the actual racism that was sitting to rise to the surface.”
In the video, Miller explains that racism did not exist in America before. She said that she worked as a real estate agent, and all was well before 2008.
She stated that President Barack Obama, the first African-American president, is the reason why the country is racially divided. According to Miller, Obama and the black community’s lack of determination are to be blamed for the rise of gun violence and the impoverishment of some neighborhoods. Miller said:
“I don’t think there was any racism until Obama got elected. We never had problems like this … Now, with the people with the guns, and shooting up neighborhoods, and not being responsible citizens, that’s a big change, and I think that’s the philosophy that Obama has perpetuated on America.”
Miller was adamant that black people were well off even in the 1960s despite racism, segregation, the Jim Crow era, and the birth of the KKK.
She also asked black people to stop complaining about the lack of opportunity. She stated that if they are failing, they have themselves to blame. She shared:
“If you’re black and you haven’t been successful in the last 50 years, it’s your own fault. You’ve had every opportunity, it was given to you. You’ve had the same schools everybody else went to. You had benefits to go to college that white kids didn’t have. You had all the advantages and didn’t take advantage of it. It’s not our fault, certainly.”
Miller also said that the Black Lives Matter movement is “a stupid waste of time” and claimed that black people do not go out to vote because they were not raised correctly.
After the interview had ended, Miller talked briefly to the reporter saying that she does not care if her statements are viewed as racist or politically incorrect because she was just speaking the truth. The interview went viral, and Miller has since apologized and resigned from her post. She stated:
“My personal comments were inappropriate, and I apologize. I am not a spokesperson for the campaign and was not speaking on its behalf. I have resigned as the volunteer campaign chair in Mahoning County and as an elector to the Electoral College to avoid any unnecessary distractions.”
Bob Paduchik, Ohio state director for the Trump campaign, said he had replaced Miller with Tracey Winbush, another local campaigner. Winbush, who is African-American, was not always a fan of Mr. Trump. During a political gathering in April, Winbush stated:
“For those of you who know, I have a radio show and I have bashed the crap out of Trump for the last five months, six months, nine months. And my listeners are going to kill me if I say anything positive about him.”
Paduchik explained the process by saying:
“Our county chairs are volunteers who signed up to help organize grassroots outreach like door-knocking and phone calls, they are not spokespeople for the campaign.”
Miller’s comments echoed what Trump told supporters in North Carolina a few days ago. The GOP nominee for president said:
“African American communities are absolutely in the worst shape they’ve ever been in before. Ever, ever ever.”
Some of Trump’s supporters are still defending the former campaign aide. Miller was just speaking the truth, they say.
