Debunking MAGA’s Biggest Lies About Black America

The stadium lights were shining bright on the White House lawn for UFC Fight Night when a newly victorious heavyweight fighter grabs the microphone. Instead of discussing his win, he leans into the camera and screams a tired, playground lie about former first lady Michelle Obama. Most on the internet collectively held its breath, bracing for a digital meltdown from Black Twitter. That explosion never came. 

MAGA supporters have long used these controversial stunts, hateful conspiracy theories and straight-up lies to rage-bait Black Americans. But while those tactics might have drawn a crowd before, we have grown tired. We are not falling for it anymore because we know the facts, and we are too busy building in our own lane.

So let’s take a look at the most common lies—like the myth of Black fathers being deadbeats and the truth about who actually benefits from DEI—and lay out the actual facts.

Attacks on Michelle Obama and Black Women’s Looks

On June 14, UFC fighter Josh Hokit claimed that “Michelle Obama is a man” during a post-fight interview at the White House on Sunday, according to the Guardian. While MAGA might have anticipated uproar from the Black community, the false rumors they spread about Mrs. Obama and other brilliant Black women like Serena and Venus Williams are nothing new. Instead, they are boring, childish, and racist behavior from America’s most hateful.

We know these women are talented, fierce, and game changers in their fields, and that’s why it’s not drawing out the reaction MAGA is gunning for.

The “Deadbeat Dad” Myth

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Another false rumor widely spread about the Black community is that all Black fathers are deadbeats. Again, this is completely false. A 2013 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that Black fathers are some of the most active dads in the United States compared to white and Hispanic fathers, The Root previously told you.

We also see this truth in amazing Black celebrity dads like A$AP Rocky, Jay-Z, Barack Obama, and Russell Wilson, who show that being a father is something they take pride in.

Related: In These White Towns, Allegiance to Trump Has Backfired

The Welfare Stigma

Black people are often seen as those who use government aid programs, such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, the most. However, according to Al Jazeera, white Americans make up the largest racial group on government welfare programs, accounting for 35.4 percent. They are followed by African Americans at 25.7 percent, Hispanic people at 15.6 percent, and Asian people at 3.9 percent.

So why do Black Americans get the reputation that they are the most in need of government programs? It serves no purpose other than to stir up racial stereotypes that are, once again, false.

The DEI Weaponization

At the start of his presidency last year, Donald Trump made it clear that Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives were high on his priority list of things that had to go because he said they placed unqualified Black people in positions they did not deserve. Yet, the biggest beneficiaries of DEI have been white women, not Black Americans.

The Root reported that 76 percent of chief diversity officer roles are held by white people, with 54 percent of that number being white women. That same group also holds 19 percent of C-suite positions, while only 4 percent of women of color hold those same positions, according to Forbes. Black people have always had to work twice as hard just for a spot in the room. 

Fake Black History Lessons

As if spinning lies weren’t enough, MAGA lawmakers have also stripped Black history from school curricula while claiming that slavery taught useful life skills. While MAGA attempts to cover up the truth, for centuries, African Americans continue to keep it alive through oral traditions. 

According to Aberystwyth University in the U.K., while enslaved Black people were not allowed to read or write, their passing down of stories is what helped African Americans keep an accurate portrayal of Black history.

The “Historically Black Colleges are Second Rate” Slur

Donald Trump once stated that he saved HBCUs, claiming that the institutions had no funding, and President Joe Biden and Barack Obama did not pay HBCUs any mind when asking for funding. But according to PolitiFact, HBCUs receive funding through grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements as well as through federal means. It is also common for private HBCUs to receive funding through tuition costs and private gifts.

Outside of funding, while HBCUs are often looked down on by MAGA, they are the institutions that make up 50 percent of Black lawyers in America, 70 percent of Black doctors, and 80 percent of Black judges, according to the Indianapolis Recorder. This is an incredibly impressive feat considering HBCUs make up 3 percent of the country’s colleges and universities and enroll 10 percent of Black American students, according to the UNCF.

The “Illegal Immigrants are Taking Black Jobs” Trap

Some Republicans have also attempted to divide the nation with the false idea that immigrants are taking Black American jobs. However, according to PBS, a study done by economists found that undocumented immigrants do not take jobs from American citizens, as they often work in agricultural fields doing jobs most citizens do not want to do. Additionally, PBS reported that there are more jobs available than workers in manual labor fields.

A 2023 study done by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that the majority of Black Americans work in professional or managerial positions at 36 percent, followed by 22 percent working in service, 20 percent working in sales and office, and 5 percent working in natural resources, construction, and maintenance.

The “Crime-Ridden Inner City” Playbook

Back in 2016, Donald Trump claimed that inner cities—which are largely run by Democrats and have high Black populations—are more dangerous than war zones. “We’ll get rid of the crime. You’ll be able to walk down the street without getting shot. Now, you walk down the street, you get shot,” he said at a presidential rally, according to the Guardian.

Here is the truth: Per the Center for American Progress, rural counties in the United States have the highest rates of gun-related deaths, while cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York have lower rates of gun violence.

The Fake “Patriotism” and Flag Worship

Black people are often criticized for not proudly waving the flag or for taking a knee during the national anthem. Take Colin Kaepernick, for example, who kneeled during the national anthem in 2016. It was a move that drew him plenty of criticism from MAGA folks and Donald Trump who said he was disrespecting America.

However, Black people built America, fought in the Revolutionary War for the country to gain its independence, and have consistently fought to make the United States a better place for all. A critique of the U.S. is not a lack of patriotism, but a push to make it a stronger nation. 

The “Black People Don’t Buy Real Estate” Myth

Black people also get the reputation that we’re materialistic and don’t invest our wealth into essential things. That’s not true, according to the National Association of Realtors.

Black Americans saw the largest annual increase in homeownership between 2012 and 2023. This proves that despite being set back for centuries and facing higher mortgage denial rates, Black folks are minding their business and climbing the property ladder.

The “Democrats Started the KKK” Distortion

MAGA often tries to draw Black people away from supporting Democrats by claiming that the Democratic Party started the KKK—a ploy to confuse voters today who do not know political party history. 

USA Today cleared this up, noting that while the KKK was founded in late 1865 by ex-Confederate soldiers—including Richard Reed, John Lester, John Kennedy, and Frank McCord—it was established as a private vigilante group, not an official creation of the Democratic Party.

Donald Trump Is To Thank For The First Step Act

Donald Trump largely likes to take credit for the passing of specific acts, such as the First Step Act, a 2018 bipartisan criminal justice reform law. “I did criminal justice reform, nobody else. I did it. Without me, you don’t have criminal justice reform,” he said, according to the Center for American Progress. 

However, Black activists and lawmakers played a huge part in pushing this bill forward to Trump’s desk, with Kim Kardashian and Kanye West even serving as significant players in making the criminal justice reform bill happen, according to TIME.

The “Inflation is Exclusively a Current Administration Problem” Lie

MAGA also attempts to mock Black intelligence by pushing the idea that inflation and the growing stress on our pockets are caused by programs that help working-class people, widening the divide between upper- and lower-class folk.

However, we know that’s not true. In 2023, a Brookings Institution inflation report showed that the spike in high prices that we’ve seen since the 2020 global pandemic is due to supply chain breakdowns and a raise in prices on goods and services without a significant increase in wages.