‘I understand there are allegiances there, but sometimes that can be misguided,’ Pastor Lorenzo Sewell told a local news outlet
Detroit Pastor Lorenzo Sewell made headlines on Wednesday by urging the public to move away from identity politics, following Vice President Kamala Harris becoming the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.
“It would be amazing to have the first Black woman president, I think that would be cool,” Sewell, the pastor of 180 Church on Detroit’s west side, told ABC 7. “But we need to stop playing identity politics as well.”
Sewell, who recently spoke at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, shared his thoughts on the issue. “You don’t have anything more powerful in America than a Black woman, so I understand there are allegiances there, but sometimes that can be misguided. I’ve had people call me this afternoon and say ‘vote for Kamala Harris because she’s Black.’ That doesn’t resonate with me right,” he said.
ABC 7 further reported that Sewell has not publicly endorsed any candidate for the 2024 presidential election and clarified that he never intended to be “front and center with the Trump campaign.” Despite this, Sewell hosted former President Trump at his church in June and spoke at the RNC last week.
During his speech at the GOP convention, Sewell remarked, “If President Trump would’ve moved just a millimeter, we would not be hearing tonight how he is going to make America great again.” He also highlighted the struggles faced by the Black community under Democratic leadership.
“When we look at our community, we see clearly that our community is hurting and it’s been under Democratic leadership,” Sewell said. He mentioned cities like Detroit, Pontiac, Flint, and Saginaw as examples where the community is suffering.
Sewell pointed out a shift in political support among Black men, who he said are increasingly leaning towards the Republican Party.
In an interview with ABC 7, Detroit-based voter Tayson Stewart, 27, shared his support for Trump, stating, “Trump looks like he’s trying to help us… he looks like he knows what he’s talking about.” Conversely, Leon Crosby, 57, expressed his fear of Trump’s presidency, saying, “I’m terrified if that man is in there. I’d be terrified as an African American.”
Trump, formally nominated last week at the Republican National Convention as the GOP’s 2024 presidential nominee, has garnered 46% support among registered voters in a recent NPR/PBS News/Marist Poll. Harris, who secured her party’s nomination by gaining commitments from a majority of delegates to next month’s Democratic National Convention, stands at 45% support.
The poll, conducted the day after President Biden announced he was ending his 2024 re-election campaign, reflects the tight race between Harris and Trump.
Amid the nomination, Harris has faced scrutiny over her qualifications to be commander-in-chief. Tennessee Republican Rep. Tim Burchett recently called Harris a “DEI hire” in an interview with CNN, implying she was selected as vice president solely because she is a Black woman. “One hundred percent she is a DEI hire,” Burchett said. “Her record is abysmal at best.”
While some GOP members urge the Trump campaign to focus on criticizing Harris’s policy positions, Sewell’s remarks underscore a broader debate about identity politics and its role in American elections.