Robert Johnson, the founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET), suggested that he favors President Donald Trump over Democratic nominee Joe Biden from the perspective of a businessman.
“Where I come out as a businessman, I will take the devil I know over the devil I don’t know anytime of the week,” Johnson said, indicating possible support for the president’s reelection. “That seems to be what business people are confronting today.”
Johnson moved on to explain that for business leaders like him, it is of utmost importance to know about who is “pulling the levers” of economic policies in response to the pandemic’s devastating impact on U.S. and global economy.
“In my opinion, you’re better off dealing with somebody you know where they gonna be, than somebody you really have no idea what decisions they will make at such a critical time,” he said.
When asked by the host if that meant he would support Trump instead of Biden, Johnson replied that he “absolutely” does not know what a Biden administration would do.
“I know what President Trump has done and what he’s said he will do,” he said. “I don’t know what Vice President Biden has said he will do other than masks, ‘listen to the scientists.’”
Johnson also said that even though the African-American community has consistently voted for Democrats in the past elections, black voters could change their minds in November if Biden fails to make clear exactly what the benefit is of voting for him over Trump.
Earlier this year, Biden said in a radio show that those who struggle to decide whether to support him or Trump “ain’t black.” Johnson took issue with Biden’s condescending attitude and called on him to “spend the rest of his campaign apologizing to every black person he meets.”
“I would rather know who I’m going to deal with in the White House,” said Johnson, who has spoken positively about Trump administration’s economic policies. “I’m going to know what regulatory decisions they’re going to make. What fiscal policy decisions, what monetary policies they’re going to make than to be taking a chance, particularly when you have the turbulence of a pandemic.”
Johnson said in 2016 that he turned down a position in Trump’s Cabinet because he couldn’t stand excessive bureaucracy. He also defended Trump, who was under attack for alleged racial bias, saying at that time that he doesn’t think Trump is a racist.
