In a May 22, 2020 interview with The Breakfast Club’s Charlamagne tha God, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, Joe Biden said “If you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, you ain’t black.”
(“It doesn’t get better than having @JoeBiden here in Hartford to fire everyone up before Election Day. It’s never been more important for us to turn out and vote,” Chris Murphy, Twitter)
Listening to the full podcast, it does seem that the former vice president was attempting to make a joke. Biden has always touted his record with the African American community, citing his support for the Voting Rights Act, as well as endorsements from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) (which does not give official endorsements for candidates running for office). At best, his comments were dismissive of the work done by the Trump administration to support the African American community. At worst, Biden’s comments implied that he takes the African American vote for granted.
Even though Joe Biden issued an apology for his statements, the condemnation came swiftly and strongly. Many politicians, mostly Republicans, immediately criticized Biden’s comments as being racially insensitive. One politician, U.S. Senate candidate John James (R-MI), argued that many sacrifices were made for African Americans to have the right to live freely and think independently. Even cultural icons were quick to disavow Biden’s remarks, with the musician and billionaire entrepreneur, Kanye West, weighing in on the issue, saying that, “I will not be told who I’m gonna vote on because of my color.” Furthermore, a Trump campaign adviser called Biden’s comments “the definition of white privilege.” Fox News’ Harris Faulkner said it best when she said, “You don’t have to be any particular race to know when someone puts you down because you’re different.”
While already receiving widespread condemnation, the Trump campaign took a different approach than many in responding to Biden’s remarks. Rather than solely relying on the political ad hominem attacks, the Trump campaign referred back to the devastating policies proposed and supported by then-Senator Joe Biden, and their outcomes for the African American community. In the digital ad, “Joe Biden has destroyed millions of African American lives,” the then-senator was quoted as saying, “Every major crime bill that has come out of this Congress has had the name “Joe Biden” on that bill. We do everything but hang people for jaywalking in this bill.” The ad goes on to say that millions of lives were destroyed as a result of Joe Biden’s support for crime bills. In addition, the Trump campaign touted the First STEP Act, despite its controversial release of some violent criminals. By focusing on policy achievements for African Americans, the Trump campaign is making its case to minority communities.
The Trump campaign’s response to Joe Biden’s comments provides a model for conservatives across America to follow in their outreach to minority communities. By and large, crafting policies that improve the lives of all Americans across the United States is the best way to earn their support in future elections. Rather than engaging in a battle of sentiments and language, the Trump administration has set out policies to directly help minorities and the communities they live in, such as the First STEP Act, the “opportunity zones” program (in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act), and creating an economic policy agenda to lower unemployment in all three communities to its lowest levels in history. These tangible outcomes provide a far better alternative to the empty promises of Democratic politicians.
Conservatives across the country must look at the policies and outcomes of the Trump Administration’s agenda, especially their positive impacts on minorities across the United States. President Trump and his team saw what many Republicans refused to acknowledge. They saw a large part of the United States forgotten and left with only the false promises of politicians every two, four, or six years. For many minority communities, a Trump presidency meant that, as he said, “The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no more.”
