Democratic WH candidate Joe Biden has been centered himself around a new controversy by saying that African Americans are not black if they vote for President Donald Trump over him in the general elections. The controversial exchange happened in a radio interview when the host Charlamagne Tha God on Friday pushed the former VP about his scope and rapport with the black voter.
Mr. Biden later apologized for the comment and cleared that he had never taken African American support for granted. Loyal support from black voters was very crucial in Biden’s race towards White House.
Biden
Mr. Biden during the whole episode of 18-min interview expressed his longstanding bond with black community while bragging his South Carolina’s presidential primary win that turned the winds for him.
“I won every single county. I won the largest share of the black vote that anybody had, including Barack,” said the former Delaware senator. Mr. Biden also claimed that a number of black women are on cards to serve as his deputies. The presumptive Democratic nominee toward the end of the interview was stopped by one his campaign aide reasoning that he was out of time.
Upon the meddling of aide in the last moments of the interview, Charlamagne protested saying: “You can’t do that to black media.”
“I do that to white media and black media,” Mr. Biden replied. “My wife has to go on at 6 o’clock,” he said, making a reference to Jill Biden needing to use their at-home broadcast studio.
Charlamagne requested Biden to return for another episode citing he had more questions for the presidential nominee.
“If you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t black,” Mr. Biden responded.
Charlamagne said: “It don’t have nothing to do with Trump. It has to do with the fact that I want something for my community.”
“Take a look at my record, man!” the former VP said, triumphantly throwing his hands in air before signing out.
Charlamagne’s nationwide syndicated show Breakfast Club has an audience reach of 8 million listeners each month and has nearly 4.5mn subscribers on YT. The show has also emerged as an important campaign stop for Democratic candidates including Senators Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Pete Buttigieg, Cory Booker and Bernie Sanders.
The former VP in damage control mode
Biden campaign adviser Symone Sanders defended the distasteful comments on Friday, saying they were made on a lighter note.
“Let’s be clear about what the VP was saying: he was making the distinction that he would put his record with the African American community up against Trump’s any day. Period.”
Mr. Biden hurried to make amends by taking black business leaders on a call later on.
“I should not have been so cavalier,” he regretted. “I’ve never, never, ever taken the African American community for granted.”
“I shouldn’t have been such a wise guy,” he added and continued: “No-one should have to vote for any party based on their race, their religion, their background.”
The Reaction
The Trump campaign and his Republican aides were quick to respond and termed the exchange “disgusting”.
Katrina Pierson, a senior campaign adviser to Mr. Trump described the remarks as “racist and dehumanizing”.
“He truly believes that he, a 77-year old white man, should dictate how black people should behave,” she said.
Tim Scott, a black Republican also lambasted the former VP, saying: “That is the most arrogant, condescending comment I’ve heard in a very long time,” he told on Fox News.
“He’s saying that 1.3 million African Americans, that you are not black? Who in the heck does he think he is?” the South Carolina legislator said.
