A NY State Senate candidate recently decided that the best way to reach out to Black voters is by using overt racism. GOP candidate Jon Girodes announced at a campaign event in Harlem that he would be handing out free “Kool Aid, KFC and Watermelon.”

His racist announcement was initially discovered when Girodes corresponded with NBC New York News regarding an alleged real estate scam he was involved in. He first denied all claims of a real estate scam and finished his correspondence by inviting the I-Team to his Harlem event. 

“Ps I'm hosting an event in Harlem which will be in front of the state building in a few weeks. We will [donate] Kool Aid, KFC and watermelons to the public on 125th street in Harlem. Please join us to help the community,” Girodes wrote to NBC New York.

When the news team questioned him about the offensive nature of his event, he responded by denying any and all implications of racism.

“What I think is anyone who gives free food to people is doing them a favor,” Girodes told the I-Team. “Get a bunch of people who say it’s offensive and let me go into their neighborhood and give it out for free and see if they take it.

Democratic New York State Sen. Bill Perkins, who is defending his seat against Girodes, could not believe the language used in the email.

“I think it’s important to out [Girodes’s racist comments] not just to denounce him but to set a tone in this neighborhood and in this city that this type of offense does not go unchallenged,” said Perkins. 

When Harlem residents learned about the racist nature of his event, they did not shy away from making their opinions known.

“It’s racist. Whoever he is, I think he should go back in whatever hole he crawled in and have a great life,” Tyrone Nero told NBC New York during an interview on 125th Street.

“It’s more than an insult and anybody with any sense would see that’s pathetically racist and insulting,” added resident Scott Randolph.

In the past, Girodes has been accused of scamming people out of money during real estate deals. One woman claimed she gave him a refundable check of $750 for a deposit. However, when she changed her mind, he did not return the money to her. And when Girodes was questioned about his actions, he once again denied all claims.

“I was not involved in any scam. I am involved in it as of the people that are trying to scam me,” he said. “I’m the biggest victim ever.” 

So let’s get this straight, he is a New Yorker that has been repeatedly accused of scamming people out of money during shady real estate deals and now he’s using racist language to win an election. Maybe he should stop going by Jon Girodes and start calling himself Donald Trump 2.0.