In a January 2018 discussion about President Donald Trump on CNN Tonight, Richmond was asked by anchor Don Lemon: “Do you think he cares about black people?” The congressman replied: “I don’t. If you listen to his words, or if you watch his actions, let’s just take some numbers. He’s appointed — or nominated one black federal judge. He’s nominated one black US attorney. And when you start talking about the criminal justice system, that’s a key area for African-American men. And they just — and if you watch [Attorney General] Jeff Sessions’ actions, it’s just inconsistent…. [W]e see the racism coming out in this immigration overhaul, where, he wants to not talk about illegal immigration, which, by the way, he made the DREAMers illegal. They were legal until he decided to take action. But when you start talking about diversity visas and you start talking about family reunification, you’re talking about legal immigration. And he — we could just use his words. He wants more people from Norway, as opposed to Africa, El Salvador.”