Tipsheet

Charlamagne: These Are Specific Bills Biden Supported That Continue to Hurt the Black Community

Charlamagne tha God, the host of "The Breakfast Club," slammed former Vice President Joe Biden for spearheading legislation that continually harms the black community. Charlamagne's comments come after an interview he conducted with the former vice president. During that interview Biden said someone "ain't black" if they decide to vote for President Trump.

"My overall takeaway from the conversation was I heard him talking about things he did for black people back in the day but, you know, 'What have you done for me lately?' is my motto," he explained during a segment on CNN. "You know, I see black communities all across America catching hell regardless of who is in the White House. You know, people like to bring up coronavirus and how it's hitting black people the hardest. Well, that's because we have a bunch of underlying conditions created by systemic racism that have never been fixed."

"As I said before, if you created legislation that hurt then you need to create legislation that helps. It's just that simple," Charlamagne tha God said. "The whole system needs to be dismantled and rebuilt and he's been a very intricate part of that system."

Specifically, the radio host took issue with Biden's role in legislation that locked up African Americans and made sentencing guidelines even harsher. 

"Whether you're talking about in '84 with the mandatory minimums sentences for drug dealers, you're talking about '86 with the crack laws that gave you more time for crack cocaine and powdered cocaine or you're talking about the '94 crime bill," Charlamagne tha God explained. "He was really one of those people who was on the front line when it came to drugs and mass incarceration."

According to the radio host, if Biden wants to be president he needs to do what he can to help the black community. He cited the black community's loyalty to the Democratic Party as one reason to make good on that.

Later in the day Biden attempted to walk back his comments during a call with the U.S. Black Chamber of Commerce, saying no one's vote should be based on their race or religion. 

"I shouldn't have been such a wise guy. I shouldn't have been so cavalier," the former vice president said during the call. "No one, no one should have to vote for any party based on their race or religion or background."

Biden can continue to try to walk back what he said but it's not going to help. He confirmed what Republicans have been saying for years, that Democrats use black people like pawns. They make the assumption that African Americans should vote for the Democratic Party simply because that's what they've always done. 

Creepy Uncle Joe put his foot in his mouth and there's no way to "fix" or spin what he said.