Trump says 'something very special' is happening 'in terms of race' in America


A new CBS poll found 63 percent of Americans do not approve of the way he is handling racial issues, Face the Nation host Margaret Brennan told President Trump in an interview airing Sunday — but Trump did not let that little detail impair his glowing assessment of his own performance on this point.
"What has happened is very interesting," he replied. "The economy is so good right now. ... [And] I think I've been given a lot of credit for that. And in terms of race, a lot of people are saying, 'Well, this is something very special, what's happening,'" Trump continued. "And I think [African Americans] like me a lot, and I like them a lot."
Brennan also pressed Trump on professional athletes' protests of police brutality and racial injustice, demonstrations he has vehemently denounced. Where in the past he has said athletes "should not be allowed" to protest by taking a knee during the national anthem, Trump now claimed some sympathy for their cause and objection only to their methods.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A "lot of people in the NFL have been calling and thanking" him, Trump said, for signing the bipartisan First Step Act, a criminal justice reform bill Trump described to Brennan as a complete and permanent solution to institutional problems in the U.S. justice system. "President Obama tried. They all tried. Everybody wanted to do it. And I got it done," he said.
First Step only applies to the federal prison system, which means about nine in 10 of America's 2.1 million inmates won't be affected, and it was considered by criminal justice reform advocates to be an important but ultimately limited measure.
Read Trump's full interview here, or watch it on CBS in two portions airing at 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Eastern.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Bonnie Kristian was a deputy editor and acting editor-in-chief of TheWeek.com. She is a columnist at Christianity Today and author of Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our Politics, and Corrupting Christian Community (forthcoming 2022) and A Flexible Faith: Rethinking What It Means to Follow Jesus Today (2018). Her writing has also appeared at Time Magazine, CNN, USA Today, Newsweek, the Los Angeles Times, and The American Conservative, among other outlets.
-
Critics’ choice: Restaurants worthy of their buzz
feature A fun bistro, a reservation worth the wait, and a modern twist on Mexican dishes
By The Week US Published
-
Film reviews: Snow White, Death of a Unicorn, and The Alto Knights
Feature A makeover for Disney’s first animated feature, greedy humans earn nature’s wrath, and a feud between crime bosses rattles the mob
By The Week US Published
-
Bombs or talks: What’s next in the US-Iran showdown?
Talking Points US gives Tehran a two-month deadline to deal
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Sen. Booker's 25-hour speech beats Thurmond
Speed Read He spoke for the longest time in recorded Senate history, protesting the Trump administration's policies
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Bondi seeks death penalty for Luigi Mangione
Speed Read Mangione was charged with fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last year
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Democrats win costly Wisconsin court seat
Speed Read Democrats prevailed in an election for the Wisconsin Supreme Court despite Elon Musk's robust financial support of the Republican candidate
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
WHCA rejects White House press seating grab
Speed Read The White House Correspondents' Association objected to the Trump administration's bid to control where journalists sit during press briefings
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump sends more migrants to El Salvador jail
Speed Read Another 17 Venezuelan alleged gang members have been deported to a notorious prison
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump 'not joking' about unconstitutional 3rd term
Speed Read The president seems to be serious about seeking a third term in 2028
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The JFK files: the truth at last?
In The Spotlight More than 64,000 previously classified documents relating the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy have been released by the Trump administration
By The Week Staff Published
-
Supreme Court upholds 'ghost gun' restrictions
Speed Read Ghost guns can be regulated like other firearms
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published