Joe Biden Apologizes for ‘You Ain’t Black’ Comment: ‘I Shouldn’t Have Been Such a Wise Guy’
Former Vice President Joe Biden apologized on a Friday call with black business leaders for saying earlier in the day that voters who have a hard time choosing between him and President Donald Trump “ain’t black.”
“I should not have been so cavalier,” Biden said on the call. “I’ve never, never, ever taken the African American community for granted … I shouldn’t have been a wise guy.”
MORE: “I shouldn’t have been such a wise guy,” @JoeBiden said later in the call with the @usblackchambers “I shouldn’t have been so cavalier. … No one should have to vote for any party based on their race, their religion, their background.”
— Ed O’Keefe (@edokeefe) May 22, 2020
Biden made the initial comment during a 20-minute interview with Charlamagne Tha God Friday morning on his show, The Breakfast Club. Charlamagne provided his thoughts on Biden’s comment in an exclusive interview with Mediaite, saying, “Votes are Quid Pro Quo. You can’t possibly want me to Fear Trump MORE than I want something for my people.”
Biden has faced backlash from both parties for his comments.
Biden’s senior campaign adviser Symone Sanders called the presumptive Democratic nominee’s comments a “jest” on Twitter a few hours after the interview aired.
“Let’s be clear about what the VP was saying,” Sanders wrote. “He was making the distinction that he would put his record with the African American community up against Trump’s any day. Period.”
The comments made at the end of the Breakfast Club interview were in jest, but 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.
— Symone D. Sanders (@SymoneDSanders) May 22, 2020
Have a tip we should know? tips@mediaite.com
