In an effort to appeal more to Black voters. Before the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, Nightline anchor Byron Pitt spoke to Black male voters across three states. Here's part of the conversation.

Voting is the last thing on my mind. They all want me to vote for what? So Mike Brown can get shot 10 times in his head. That's what I'm voting for. So George Floyd can get killed on camera, bro. What am I voting for? What am I going to standing in this line for and voting for one of these people for? Why? But you all want to act like my vote really matters.

Byron Pitz joins us now. Byron, you talk to black men in North Carolina, Georgia, and Michigan. What did they tell you about their feelings on politics and on the Republican Party?

Lindsay, I think overall, you heard in that young man's voice, frustration. Frustration with both parties, frustration with politics. Look, several people pointed to the fact that, yes, black unemployment is at record lows, but it's still nearly twice white unemployment. They talked about while crime statistics are better, crime is still crippling many communities of color. Here's some statistics, Lindsay, I think that are keeping Democrats up at night and give Republicans reason to be encouraged. In 2012, 11% of black male voters voted Republican. In 2016, 13% voted Republican. In 2020, 19% voted Republican. And what is expected to be a close race this fall, if those numbers increase dramatically for the Republican Party, that spells trouble for the Democrats.

Obviously does. And many times when you hear either side try to appeal to black voters, they mention crime or poverty. But many feel other issues they care about are often ignored and they're painted as a monolith. Did anyone express feeling misunderstood by either party?

Oh, absolutely. We talked to a group a group of black men who were in the rap industry, brothers in their 30s who felt ignored. We talked to a group of young men, all college students, who felt ignored by both parties, and both offended in some levels by how both leading candidates, Biden and Trump, have attempted to reach out to them. There's been lots of talk, and you've discussed it on your show in the past about the Trump sneakers and those things, and the fact that he may appeal to black male voters in particular because his criminal history, his criminal record. Many people I spoke with were offended by that. At the same time, remember some time ago, Joe Biden said, If you vote for Trump, you ain't black. That landed poorly in many corners of black America. I think they feel in general that these two leading candidates, men well over the age of 70, men who came of age during Jim Crow, don't necessarily see the world the way they see it, see a the world that fully includes them. Though both parties are making real attempts to tout their records, President Biden, as well as Donald Trump, the things that they've done.

They both invested in HBCUs from the White House. So they're trying. But I think it's fair to say that that message is still a whisper from both parties.

I know that you also talk to younger male voters about their feelings on this election as well. Let's take a bit of a listen to that conversation.

What issues matter most to you guys this election?

I'm so politically tired. I don't even know what issues I care about anymore. Reproductive rights, for me, it's important, but it's like, I'm tired.

Why are you tired?

Constantly having to fight as a black man in every space. It's like every system is built in opposition of our success.

Byron, curious if you felt that sense of being tired in some of the other young black of men you spoke with.

Oh, absolutely. One of the things that surprises in our conversations was this thread in every segment of black America where we talk to black men, this sense of the microaggressions that you face as a person of color. Still, in this country and how that whole thing is just exhausting. They don't necessarily feel represented by either party. Also Lindsay, the other thing that I took away from that was also the weight of history that so many people of color, in particular in this case, black men feel to... I heard it from black men in their 60s who worked in blue collar jobs. I heard it from young black men in their 20s on university campuses. This notion that they recognize almost across the board, that they have the right to do something that men and women in their family, their grandparents, their great-grandparents, in some cases, their parents, didn't have the right to do. They feel the way of that responsibility, not just as Americans today, but as as descendants of a people who fought, bled, died for the right to vote.

Byron, what I think is so interesting, you saw basically a split screen here at the RNC. Over the last few days, you've had more black speakers than in recent history at any Republican National Convention. At the same time, President Joe Biden going and speaking to the NAACP. Certainly, both parties actively courting those black voters. Byron Pitz, we thank you so much for the conversation. Appreciate it.

Always.