Page 55 of 107 Days
With Mark Cuban in the audience, I addressed the Economic Club of Pittsburgh. Mark had been a big supporter throughout the campaign, doing numerous events in which he picked apart the dangerous flaws in Trump’s tariff policy and warned of its consequences to both businesses and consumers.
He had credibility and was able to reach a variety of important constituencies: big business, small business, sports fans, and people who just liked his no-nonsense personality on Shark Tank .
(At the end of long days, I loved to watch reruns of Shark Tank , and my habit was to then google and see how, years later, the various businesses that had won investment were doing.)
I needed voters to know the specifics of how I intended to put more money in their pockets today and to improve their prospects in the future. I started by acknowledging that the cost of living was still way too high: “You know it and I know it.”
My proposal was for a new tax credit for investment and job creation in key industries like steel, biotech, AI, semiconductors, aerospace, autos, and farming.
I talked about the importance of retooling existing factories, the credits that would encourage local hiring, and protecting the right to organize.
I pledged to double the number of apprenticeships during my first term and increase skills-based hiring.
As president, I said, I could eliminate the degree requirements for half a million federal jobs in favor of skills-based hiring and apprenticeships, and that I would then challenge the private sector to do the same.
We could grow the nation’s cybersecurity workforce in this way and provide a model that private enterprise could emulate.
My talk was of things I knew I could actually do as president and things that I knew would work.
I warned that Trump’s tariffs would raise costs and risk recession.
I was confident about my analysis because I had a powerful team of economic advisers with different expertise.
Brian Nelson had been my special assistant attorney general in California and understood my policy perspective.
Brian Deese was a former director of the National Economic Council and had worked in the White House on the clean energy transition.
Deanne Millison handled outreach to CEOs, small business, and private sector engagement in Africa and Central America for me at the White House.
But as much as I hammered my economic message, it didn’t seem to be penetrating fast enough.
Over the course of the campaign, my polling on the economy went up 15 to 20 points in battleground states, amplified by leaders like Mark and my Divine Nine brother Jimmy McMikle, head of Kappa Alpha Psi, along with the leadership of Iota Phi Theta.
These fraternities are deeply committed to mentorship and economic empowerment, with powerful reach into the Black community.
In a longer campaign, I might have had time to better bring the message home.
Later, I’d have a telling exchange with Charlamagne Tha God, the host of the popular radio show The Breakfast Club .
I’ve been on his show many times. Charlamagne is a savvy interviewer with a missionary zeal for reaching Black men and a particular commitment to mental health issues.
His show has a radio audience of eight million monthly.
When I appeared on his show, he lit right into me: “You come off very scripted. You stick to your talking points.”
“That would be called ‘discipline,’?” I retorted.
When he pressed me, I explained that I needed to repeat my messages so that everyone could get to know what I stand for. It’s not especially fun to give the same speech three times a day in three different cities four or five times a week, but it’s necessary.
Trump stood up there and spouted unfiltered nonsense about Hannibal Lecter and electric sharks. He called it “the weave.” I call it nonsense.
The double standard on our style of presentation was galling. If I hesitated or backtracked midsentence to try to clarify or better express a thought, it was “word salad.” Meanwhile, Trump could describe Hurricane Florence as “one of the wettest we’ve ever seen, from the standpoint of water.”