Republican Michigan Rep. John James ripped Rev. Al Sharpton on Thursday for falsely claiming that Michigan has no black representation for the first time in decades.
After Sharpton made this remark on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” James told the left-wing reverend that he will not be erased simply because he does not fit into Sharpton’s “bigoted” narrative of what a black man ought to believe. He then challenged Sharpton to a debate on how Democratic policies have affected black families and communities.
“Al, are you that blind? I’m here and I exist whether you like it or not. I went to war for the right to think for myself. You are not going to erase me because I don’t fit your bigoted idea of what a black man is or has a right to be,” James said in a video uploaded to X. “I’m a West Point grad, Ranger qualified Apache pilot, combat veteran and businessman. I have one wife, two master’s degrees, three kids and I am the black congressman from Michigan. And yes, I am a Republican, not because the party’s perfect, but because it’s the platform that most aligns with the economic and moral values that my grandmama taught me.”
“But unlike some people, politics has not become my religion, though. Michigan is my mission field, and service is my calling,” James continued. “My loyalty is to God, my country and my family. In 2024, more young black men gave President Trump a serious look for jobs, paycheck, safety and respect. Your blindness, Reverend, is part of the reason we can’t have nice things, but we can change that.”
Hey @TheRevAl & MSDNC — THE Black Congressman from Michigan here
. I’ve got a message and an invite: come to Detroit for a debate.
Let’s talk about how Democrat control has failed families in Detroit neighborhoods for the past six decades and how conservative principles can… pic.twitter.com/C7A24HePLX
— John James (@JohnJamesMI) October 2, 2025
In 2024, Detroit, Michigan, had the second-highest violent crime rate among the 30 largest cities in the U.S., according to Security. org.
James, who announced his gubernatorial candidacy in April, is leading the Republican primary race with 55% support, a poll exclusively obtained by the Daily Caller showed. The incumbent, Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, is term limited. The congressman previously lost two competitive races for Senate against former Democratic Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow and Democratic Sen. Gary Peters.
The congressman is an Iraq War veteran and the former president of James Group International (JGI), according to his biography. He served as a Ranger-qualified aviation officer and led two Apache platoons in combat operations during Operation Iraqi Freedom 07-09.
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