Henry Lewis Gates argues increased economic prosperity for blacks led to racial backlash that empowered Trump

Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr, a professor of African-American history at Harvard University, said in recent New York Times Magazine interview that President Trump was elected as a result of resentment stemming from increased economic prosperity for black Americans.

Gates, the host of PBS's "Finding Your Roots," was asked whether "the energy driving the current moment" was a reaction to progress for black Americans and the election of the first black president, Barack Obama.

The prominent academic was uncertain about attributing a root cause behind mounting racial anxiety among white Americans, but he noted black people are better off economically now compared to a half-century ago.