More than 8 in 10 black Americans describe Trump as racist: poll

More than 8 in 10 black Americans believe President Trump is a racist and say the president has made racism a bigger issue in the country, according to a new Washington Post–Ipsos poll published Friday.

The president’s approval rating among black Americans was even worse, with 9 in 10 black Americans saying they disapprove of the job he has done as president so far.

The respondents’ apprehension over current race relations in the country, however, extends beyond the White House.

While 65 percent of those surveyed said that they feel optimistic about their lives all or most of the time, 65 percent said they think it is a bad time to be black in America, while 77 percent said they believe it is a good time to be white in America.

Only 16 percent of respondents said they think that black children born in the U.S. today have “a good opportunity to achieve a comfortable standard of living,” while 75 percent said they think white children have that opportunity.

Trump has regularly touted his accomplishments with the black community since taking office. He points to historically low unemployment numbers for black Americans and claims he has done more for black Americans than any other president.

Despite his boasts, 56 percent of those surveyed rated the national economy negatively, and 77 percent believed that the president deserves “only some” or “hardly any” credit for the current 5.5 percent unemployment rate among black adults.

According to exit polls, Trump received just more than 8 percent of the vote in 2016, according to the Post.

The Post–Ipsos poll was conducted Jan. 2–8 and surveyed 1,088 black adults with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.