According to Sharpton, Trump's words to him were, "You got me."
Sharpton, 70, shared this anecdote with the New York Times, explaining that the call came after he had appeared on MSNBC, discussing Trump's unexpected triumph over Hillary Clinton. Sharpton suggested that Trump's appeal to the nation was largely due to his image as an outsider. "You have to understand Donald Trump as a New Yorker," Sharpton said, implying that Trump's Queens upbringing and subsequent feelings of alienation in Manhattan were relatable to a national audience.
November 25, 2024
According to Sharpton, he initially ignored the call from an unknown number, but when it persisted, he answered to find the then-president-elect on the line. "The lady said, 'The president-elect would like to speak to you,' and he comes on the phone, and he says, 'Al! I saw you this morning. You got me,'" Sharpton recounted.
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Sharpton's story came in the context of Trump's surprising popularity surge in traditionally Democratic New York during the presidential election. He suggested that Trump "sincerely wants to try to be embraced by this town." Despite losing New York in the election, Trump increased his statewide support by seven percent compared to his 2020 results, making significant gains among voter groups within the city that had previously rejected him.
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Trump's increased support in New York was greater than in any other state compared to his 2020 results. Sharpton expressed little surprise at the burgeoning "romance" between Trump and New York, attributing it to Trump's deep-seated insecurity about being an "outer-borough guy from Queens." He believes that Trump genuinely desires acceptance from his hometown.
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"They indicted him, convicted him, but it's like, 'Look at me now!' I think it's like the girl in high school that turned you down for the prom," Sharpton said. "You always want to say, what about me now? And I think that's what he's going through."
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Sharpton's account of his interaction with Trump is unexpected, given his well-known liberal stance. His liberal views recently landed him in controversy following an interview with Kamala Harris during the election. The conservative Washington Free Beacon criticized Sharpton for his lenient questioning and released campaign finance records alleging that his non-profit received substantial payments from Harris' campaign before the interview.
Despite the controversy surrounding Sharpton's support for Harris, his observations about Trump's unexpected popularity surge in New York proved accurate. Trump made significant gains among voting groups that had previously rejected him, including a 13 percentage point increase among Black men compared to eight years ago. He also gained 13 points among voters aged 18 to 29 and an impressive 32 points among Latinos since the last election.
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While Kamala Harris won New York by a comfortable 11 points statewide, Trump managed to claw back significant percentages across the city, traditionally viewed as one of the nation's most liberal hotspots. For instance, in The Bronx, a borough with a majority Hispanic population of 54.6 percent and a 43 percent Black population, Trump gained 12 percent and 30,000 voters.
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According to the Daily Mail, similar but slightly smaller gains were made in Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn. To gauge public sentiment, DailyMail.com conducted an experiment in one of Manhattan's most liberal areas while wearing a MAGA hat, yielding some surprising responses. This unexpected surge in support for Trump in New York, a traditionally liberal stronghold, underscores the shifting political landscape and the unpredictable nature of voter sentiment.
