Pastor Darrell Scott - Nothing to Lose: Unlikely Allies in the Struggle for a Better Black America

A POST HILL PRESS BOOK

ISBN: 978-1-64293-465-6

ISBN (eBook): 978-1-64293-466-3

Nothing to Lose:

Unlikely Allies in the Struggle for a Better Black America

2020 by Pastor Darrell Scott

All Rights Reserved

Cover photo by Sheala Craighead

This is a work of nonfiction. All people, locations, events, and situations are portrayed to the best of the authors memory.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author and publisher.

Post Hill Press

New York Nashville

posthillpress.com

Published in the United States of America

CONTENTS

W hat makes you think black people will vote for you? Word on the street is, youre a racist.

Those were my first words to Donald J. Trump. His answer would alter my view of him and put me on a journey that I never expected.

It was 2011, and Trump was considering a run against President Barack Obama in the 2012 presidential election. The real estate mogul wanted to gauge his support among evangelicals, both white and black. So he gathered some into a crowded conference room on the twenty-fifth floor of Trump Tower. As far as I can tell, no one has ever discussed this meeting in print before.

Heres how it all went down: Pastor Paula White, a longtime spiritual advisor and friend of Donald Trump, phoned me. Paula has many friends in the black churches, including me. I knew that she was conducting lunchtime Bible studies in Trump Tower. What I didnt know at the time is that sometimes Trump would drop by. He had become more curious spiritually as he had grown older. It was a personal transformation, the beginning of a spiritual journey, and the media was unaware of it.

At that time, Paula owned a unit in Trump Tower. How she came to own it is a story that reveals a hidden side of Trump. She told me that years earlier, Trump had told her that he had a unit available in the Tower and asked if she was interested. She told him that she was interested, but the price was way out of her reach. Preachers dont usually make enough money to afford a condo in Trump Tower.

Hearing her reply, Trump said, Ill see what I can do to help you. He contacted the company sponsoring his speaking tour and suggested that it offer Paula a contract as a part of his tour. She earned a nice sum for each speaking engagement. Sometimes she spoke several times per month. She set the money aside, and after about a year she had earned enough money to purchase the unit. Trump didnt give her the money or cut the price, nor did she ask him to. She did not want to infringe upon their friendship, nor try to capitalize on her spiritual influence over him. He created an opportunity for her to earn that money, and she worked very hard in doing so.

When Paula phoned me, she said: I wonder if you and Belinda can meet me in New York? I have some things I want to talk to you about. Belinda is my wife, and it was no problem for us to go. Paula had been our friend for many years and had spoken at my church many times. I didnt know what the conversation in New York would be about, but our friendship was such that I didnt feel the need to know in advance. Belinda and I would simply wait until we got there to find out.

So Belinda and I flew to New York. After we met Paula downstairs in the lobby of Trump Tower, she escorted us to a large conference room on the twenty-fifth floorthe very room seen on The Celebrity Apprentice . A long table dominated the room, and the windows offered a commanding view of New Yorks forest of skyscrapers.

The others in the room were just as impressive as the view; it was a veritable Whos Who of black and white church leaders. Televangelists. Christian book publishers. Gospel singers. Television network owners and program hosts. Some very large personalities in the Christian world. I wont name them here, because to this day a lot of them havent divulged their attendance.

While we were all exchanging pleasantries, Donald Trump walked in. I wasnt expecting that. I dont think anyone else in the room was either.

At first I thought he was just going to say hello to Paula and the rest of us, and then leave. Instead, he started talking to all of us. He said, I asked Paula to ask some of her friends to come here because Im thinking about running for president in 2012.

I was shocked. This guy was thinking about running for president?

Trump continued, I asked Paula to invite some of her friends here that she believes are in contact with God, so that you guys can pray for me that God gives me the wisdom to make the right decision as to whether I run or not.

I never thought of Trump as humble enough to ask for prayers. His television personality displays self-confidence and even brashness, but in that moment, he was asking Christians for prayer.

This was unexpected. I wasnt an avid watcher of The Apprentice , because I primarily watched Christian television, and I wasnt a hardcore Trump fan. But I was familiar with who Trump was. In fact, I liked his brand, which I knew was synonymous with luxury. I had stayed at the Trump hotel in Florida. I even owned a vintage Trump watch, which I still have. I once had a Trump mattress that I slept on very well.

Trump stood and bowed his head. We all prayed over him. It was a solemn moment. Together we prayed: Lord, give him the wisdom to make the right decision. Lead him in the right direction. Let Your will be done regarding this matter.

No one pulled out a phone to record it for social media. In that moment, Trump was just an ordinary guy who was requesting prayer, like any person who comes to church and desires prayer. That impressed me.

Afterward, he sat down to talk. We sat there for five hours, talking about our Christian culture, our country, national and international issues both big and small. No topic was off-limits.

Trump opined that conditions in our country could be much better. He talked about U.S. Supreme Court seats and the need for federal judges who were conservative and respected the Constitution. I was impressed by the breadth of his knowledge, which ranged from economics and defense to social issues and poverty. Then one preacher said something I would never forgetsomething that would come true later:

I want you to know one thing. If you decide to run for president, youre going to be the target of a Satanic attack like youve never seen before.

Trump was unlearned in our Christian vernacular, our Christian mode of conversation. He was kind of taken aback. I mean, youre telling me the devil is going to attack me if I run? He didnt quite know what to make of it. I dont know whether he believed it or not. He found the comment interesting, however. He nodded and continued talking.

Then, Trump acknowledged me.

Now, anyone who knows me knows Im outspoken. I can be blunt. I can be candidsometimes to my own detriment. Its hard for me to suppress my thoughts and feelings in an open dialogue. Im not a loose cannon, though.

I looked right into his eyes and said, Let me ask you a question. What makes you think black people will vote for you for president? Word on the street is, youre a racist.

Trump looked right back at me and didnt blink, flinch, or hesitate. Im the least racist person you ever want to meet, he said. In my line of work, in what I do, I cant be a racist. I work with all kinds of people in all walks of life.

I waited for the rest of the explanation, for the standard I had a black friend when I was in the third grade or We had a black maid or I know a lot of black people. I like black people; some of my best friends are black.