“Face the Nation” host Margaret Brennan asked the president about the fact that more than 60 percent of those surveyed disapprove of Trump’s handling of race relations, according to the latest CBS News poll.

Trump, as usual, pivoted to talking about the economy and the fact that the decline in black unemployment that began under the Obama administration has continued during the Trump presidency.

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“So I think I’ve been given a lot of credit for that. And in terms of race, a lot of people are saying, ‘Well, this is something very special what’s happening,’ ” he said.

When Brennan noted that even Trump supporters such as Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.), the GOP’s only black senator, called the president “racially insensitive,” he failed to address the issue. He said:

“I have a great relationship with Tim and certainly with his state, South Carolina, and — where we do very well. And I think if you look at the numbers for African American unemployment, best numbers they’ve had — literally the best numbers they’ve had in history. And I think they like me a lot and I like them a lot.”

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No matter how often critics and supporters alike have raised concerns about Trump’s words and behavior, he never seems to truly engage the issue.

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The Fix previously wrote about how whenever the president reflects on where he falls on the spectrum between being racist and embracing diversity, Trump claims to be “the least racist person,” perhaps ever. He tends to switch the subject to the low black unemployment rate, without any real nuance, as The Washington Post’s Philip Bump has repeatedly noted, and continues to deflect the broader points.

At best, this approach suggests a lack of understanding about the concern. Trump does not seem to fathom that being president while the black unemployment rate is relatively low does not mean he is not racist.

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At worst, it suggests a lack of interest in engaging a topic that millions of Americans consider one of the biggest concerns of our time. Most Americans believe that the consequences of poor race relations are a major issue, with real implications in our society. If Trump is unable to meaningfully respond, the behavior that critics say empowers white supremacists is not likely to change.