The Democratic Party has long enjoyed strong support from African Americans, with the Pew Research Center reporting that 92% of black voters backed President Joe Biden in 2020. 

However, there is growing evidence that Biden isn’t generating nearly as much enthusiasm ahead of next year’s election. 

"I’ve been let down by Obama"

"The Run-Up" is a podcast produced by The New York Times podcast, and for this past Thursday’s episode host Astead Herndon asked a number of black voters about their political leanings. 

One guest expressed disappointment with former President Barack Obama, telling Herndon, "I've been let down by Obama. Do you hear me?"

"I feel as though he could have done more for us. I feel as though – specifically Chicagomans, that’s where he comes from," the man complained.

"After seeing you know, Trump and all that he did, it’s like, 'Man, Obama, you could've did the same thing! You could’ve been robed too before your people!'" he continued.

"The Democratic Party has forgot about the Black male"  

The man went on to tell Herndon that there is a good chance he will not cast a ballot next year, and he wasn’t the only one to say so. 

"I probably would not vote for either. I don’t like either one," a woman complained. "But it’s like, am I gonna vote for someone who I absolutely don’t want and then vote for someone who I really don’t want either?"

One man said some black men are attracted to the GOP by "financial mobility," stating, "The Republican Party preaches somewhat of – this concept of strap up your bootstraps and kind of will your own way – to make your own way as far as financially."

"I think that appeals to more men that are disenfranchised that want to take another step financially within their communities,” he continued before adding, "I honestly feel that the Democratic Party has forgot about the Black male."  

Poll shows 20% of black voters may back Trump

Another black voter remarked, "We talk about the negatives of Trump often, but we don’t talk about the negatives of Biden."

"In a world of today’s politics where most policies are written by think tanks and groups of people, Biden hand wrote a policy that resulted in more Black people being locked up than ever in the history of America," the voter pointed out. 

Those complaints come as new polling data suggests that a historic number of African Americans could vote Republican in 2024. 

A survey conducted earlier this month by NBC News found that some 20% of black voters would consider casting a ballot for former President Donald Trump.