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Rep. John James Monday night
Michigan's freshman Congressman John James spoke on the opening night Monday at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, and stated what he and Donald Trump had something in common.
Explaining that he flew 750 hours of operations as an Apache pilot in Operation Iraqi Freedom, he said:
"You know there's something else me and President Trump have in common; the bad guys shot at us both but they missed."
The remark was in reference to Saturday's attempted assassination of Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania.
James also gave a shout out to the Detroit Lions and talked about the racial discrimination his father faced in Mississippi, and how he went on to college and Vietnam and became a success in the trucking business.
"He and my mother raised me never telling me that this is a racist country, never, never...even though we have...blemishes in our past, even though we have much farther to go, even though they endured racism, it did not define the nation they loved. They taught me I could do anything I set my mind to, they taught me to put the Lord first, always."
James is running for re-election in the 10th Congressional District. His Democratic opponent is likely to be former Macomb County prosecutor and judge, Carl Marlinga.
The same night, another African American politician, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina spoke and touched on race, saying: "I know this is going to offend the liberal elites, every time I say it, it offends them. But let me say it one more time: America is not a racist country. No we're not. But if you were looking for racism today, you'd find it in cities run by Democrats."
The convention had a number of Black speakers in what some say was an attempt to show voters of color that they're welcome in the Republican party.
Conversely, the comments playing down racism likely were meant to placate those Republicans who resent hearing that America is a racist country.
