President Donald Trump met with members of the Congressional Black Caucus Wednesday, and the chair of the group said that they found many goals shared with the president.
Trump made a play for the black vote during the presidential campaign, famously asking, “What the hell do you have to lose?” He ended up finishing with eight percent of the black vote.
CBC members showed up to their meeting with Trump carrying a policy book titled, “We Have A Lot To Lose.” The book described problems for black Americans, such as poverty and education access, and listed solutions that generally run counter to Republican orthodoxy.
CBC chair Rep. Cedric Richmond told reporters that it was “more of a business meeting” in which they talked candidly about their disagreements and problems with Trump’s proposed budget. “The surprising part was that when we talked about the goals there were more similarities than were differences,” Richmond added.
He said where the two groups differed was on how to reach those goals.
The White House put out a statement after the meeting that said Trump “voiced his desire to work with the CBC to improve educational and economic opportunities, enhance public safety, reduce the cost of prescription drugs, and invest in infrastructure.”
Richmond said that Trump “suggested and was willing to have further engagement on a consistent basis,” and that the president offered up his cabinet secretaries for the CBC members to meet with to discuss policy.