President Trump brought the receipts to Thursday night’s final presidential debate, using former Vice President Joe Biden’s own record against him. On the topic of criminal justice reform, President Trump touted his own record, including the First Step Act, and nailed Biden on the 1994 crime bill. The former vice president was a leading architect behind the controversial legislation, which led to an influx of arguably unfair drug sentences for African Americans.
Then-Senator Biden took a much different approach to criminal justice reform than he is now, and even called African Americans targeted by the crime bill “predators,” in a 1993 speech on the Senate floor, as President Trump pointed out.
President @realDonaldTrump lists his many accomplishments for Black Americans.
— Team Trump (Text VOTE to 88022) (@TeamTrump) October 23, 2020
The only thing Joe Biden ever did for Black Americans was put them in jail with the 1994 crime bill.#BlackVoicesForTrump #Debates2020 pic.twitter.com/VLBMF297UX
President Trump on Joe Biden's failure with his crime bill & prison reform:
— Mark Bednar (@MarkBednar) October 23, 2020
"Why didn't you get it done? You had eight years to get it done.
"Now you're saying you're going to get it done, because you're all talk, and no action." pic.twitter.com/TabxQDxBYU
Biden denied these comments he made as a Senator, but the proof is on the side of the president:
Compilation of Joe Biden calling people 'predators' as he wrote and passed the Crime Bill. pic.twitter.com/mvbuddFK4A
— Joe Gierut (@Joe_Gierut) October 23, 2020