Six years and 1,000,000 memes in the past, Individuals watched as Thanos, the large villain of the Avengers motion pictures, confronted a chilly actuality. He’d efficiently managed to erase half the galaxy (it sounds sillier and sillier the additional we get away from the film), however the associated fee was extremely excessive. He had given up every part to get there and it begged the query, was it value it? And the plain reply was no. Not simply because Thanos sacrificed his personal daughter’s life, however as a result of in the long run, not solely was his half a universe’s dream undone, however he bought an axe to the pinnacle from some indignant Avengers. A whole lot of sacrifice, no payoff.
All through the 2024 presidential marketing campaign, we noticed a whole lot of Black and Brown individuals make the Thanos selection; they sacrificed every part to affiliate themselves with Trump, however in the long run, it bought them nothing. In truth, in lots of circumstances, they’re worse off than earlier than they dared affiliate themselves with the now forty seventh president of the US. All of them went out to battle for Trump and ended up losers. They sacrificed every part and ended up with an empty hand. They’re like the alternative of the Avengers. In truth, let’s name them the Surrenderers as a result of they actually gave up any scraps of dignity, integrity and cultural loyalty a very long time in the past.
And now let’s have a look at who they’re:
Supply: Justin Sullivan / Getty
Byron Donald, aka Heimdall – A lot as I really like Idris Elba, I at all times thought that his character Heimdall was mainly a Godly model of an interstellar doorman, standing round in an enormous yellow go well with holding the rainbow bridge door for each time Thor exhibits up. So after Congressman (R-FL) Byron Donald spent a 12 months being the GOP mascot and defending Jim Crow, it got here as no shock that he’d cement himself because the Republican’s prime black doorman and referred to Trump’s second time period in workplace as “Daddy’s Again”. In any case of that dancing and sweating, did Donalds get a VP nod? No. Did Donalds get a cupboard place? No. His ‘reward’ is the possibility to run for governor of Florida and lose to alleged baby trafficker and former Congressman (R-FL) Matt Gaetz. Not an actual robust return on the funding of your soul.
Supply: Chip Somodevilla / Getty
Tim Scott, aka Can’t Man – Tim Scott can’t do something proper. He defended each racist, corrupt and violent motion of Trump, got here up with an entire fiancé and a marriage conveniently orchestrated across the Republican nationwide conference, ran up over 12 million {dollars} in marketing campaign debt, and nonetheless didn’t get the nod for Trump’s Vice President. In truth, he couldn’t muster a greater talking spot than the undercard on the Republican Nationwide conference. The self-proclaimed 57-year-old grownup virgin has shrunk from the Republican stage ever since, and we’ve barely heard a peep because the election.
Supply: Jason Miller / Getty
Vivek Ramaswamy, aka Phony Stark – Vivek was satisfied that if he simply portrayed himself as a mannequin minority tech genius, ignored repeated racist insults by fellow Republicans like Ann Coulter, and made himself the MAGA model of Andrew Yang, he’d positively get himself into the White Home. His marketing campaign for President / Trump’s love and a focus lasted about so long as Taylor Swift’s Eras tour however was 50% much less numerous. That was ok to get him picked to work with Elon Musk to run the notorious “DOGE” workplace on authorities effectivity. However then Vivek revealed his personal racist sentiments about most white Individuals and MAGA condemned him to cosplay as a Greenback Retailer Bobby Jindal and run for governor in Ohio. Being an indignant nerd is not any pathway to Trump’s internal circle Vivek.
Supply: Fulton County Jail / Fulton County Sheriff’s Workplace
Trevian Kutti, aka Black Widow – Kutti has a resume of lifeless careers and reputations the likes of which might take most individuals a long time to perform. After stints with R. Kelly and Kanye West, she allied herself with the Trump marketing campaign, even going as far as to beg witnesses to offer false testimony through the election fraud hearings in Georgia. She’s not slick sufficient to be a spy as a result of she bought caught. Whereas I’m positive she thought she’d be the following Omarosa, or at the very least the following Lynne Patton, her solely reward for Trump loyalty has been getting on stage throughout Nelly’s inauguration live performance. An occasion so steeped within the Sunken Place that Kelly Rowland wouldn’t enable “Dilemma” to be performed as a result of she wished no affiliation with Trump. By the best way, Kutti nonetheless has an ongoing Georgia case in opposition to her and has no pardon from Trump. Whew, it’s positively getting scorching in right here.
Supply: Pool / Getty
Harrison Floyd, aka the Unimaginable Sulk – Harrison Floyd additionally spent a part of the final 4 years making an attempt to make America nice once more and it didn’t fairly end up too nicely. In case you missed him, Floyd was a part of the vote-stealing conspiracy in Georgia, however in some way ended up being the one one who spent vital time sulking away in jail. He additionally bought completely no direct assist from the Trump marketing campaign for his authorized payments, no gives to affix the brand new administration or distinguished assume tanks, and when he tried to run for workplace, he bought referred to as a “nigger” by Marjorie Taylor Greene. However this man nonetheless proclaims himself as a loud, proud Trump-supporting Republican.
And in the long run, none of them, not one in every of them, bought something to indicate for his or her timeless loyalty besides a reminder that cozying as much as an oligarch doesn’t imply you may be spared or saved and even remembered.
Jason Johnson is a professor of Politics and Journalism at Morgan State College, host of the podcast “A Phrase w/ Jason Johnson” and a political contributor and host on MSNBC. You’ll be able to comply with him at @drjasonjohnson.bsky.social BlueSky @Drjasonjohnson IG drjasonjohnson.com
SEE ALSO:
Surviving Trump: The Powerful Conversations Black America Want To Have
Surviving Trump: Can Black And White Ladies Nonetheless Be Buddies In The Period Of Trump?
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