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During a recent interview with The La Crosse Tribune, Donald Trump expressed this belief that “economically,” the 1700s and early 1800s were a good time for America. The GOP presidential nominee also explained his affinity for the Reagan years.

The La Crosse Tribune reported:

Trump, whose campaign slogan is “Make America Great Again!” said he views the 1980s as the time when things were good for the nation, though he also hearkened back to the late 1700s and early 1800s.

“The industrial revolution was certainly — in terms of economically — that was when we started to grow,” Trump said. “I liked the Ronald Reagan years. I thought the country had a wonderful, strong image.”

Trump’s comments harkening back to darker days for African-Americans in the United States should give pause to the American electorate, as the industrial revolution was largely fueled by the enslavement of Blacks in America and the Reagan years saw the crack cocaine epidemic ravage many communities of color.

Roland Martin said Trump’s comments reminded him of Bob Dole, who while running for president in 1996, harkened back to the 1940s and 1950s.

Dr. Julianne Malveaux, President Emeritus of Bennett College, said, “The industrial revolution and the industrial transformation of these United States took place because of enslavement – simply because of enslavement.

“Our people were the capital that people used to borrow money off so they could expand” their enterprises.

Martin implored Trump to “read a damn book” so that he could “understand history” and then blamed this sort of rhetoric being spewed by the Republican presidential nominee on the fact that “too many White Americans in this country don’t know history.”

Watch Roland Martin and the NewsOne Now panel dissect Donald Trump’s most recent tone-deaf comments in the video clip above.

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty

Watch NewsOne Now with Roland Martin, in its new time slot on TV One.

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Donald Trump Delivers Clueless Speech About Black Issues To White Audience

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