Joe Biden has certainly made his fair share of racist comments over the years. One of his more notable examples from the 2020 campaign was when he told Charlamagne tha God on his radio show “The Breakfast Club” that “if you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t black.” And that’s not even the worst thing he’s ever said.
For sure, Biden’s history of racism goes hand-in-hand with his blatant pandering to minority communities, such as picking a black woman as his running mate, nominating a black woman as a Supreme Court Justice, or telling complete fiction about his record on civil rights. But this pandering doesn’t change who he is.
But there are also times when he’s been accused of making racist comments when they weren’t actually racist. For example, some have claimed his use of the n-word multiple times during a 1985 Senate hearing was proof of his racism, even though he was actually reading quotes from other people.
Flashback: The Top 7 Racist Comments Made by Joe Biden Over the Years
This week, Joe Biden is once again being accused of making a racist statement during a speech at Prince George’s Community College in Largo, Md.
Here’s the relevant clip:
BIDEN: “…particularly for African Americans and Hispanic workers and veterans — you know, the workers without high school diplomas” pic.twitter.com/CZyCx23M8Z
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) September 14, 2023
According to some, it sounds like Joe Biden said:
We’ve seen record lows in unemployment, particularly — and I’ve focused on this my whole career — particularly for African Americans and Hispanic workers and veterans, you know, the workers without high school diplomas.
When you listen to it, it sure sounds like that’s what he’s saying: that African Americans, Hispanics, and veterans apparently don’t tend to have high school diplomas. In fact, it is vaguely reminiscent of his past remark that “Poor kids are just as bright and just as talented as white kids.”
This clip alone from the RNC Research account has gone viral, accumulating 3.4 million views. It is admittedly convincing, and if you see the transcript ahead of time, it’s easy for the audio to reinforce the belief that that is exactly what Joe Biden said, that African Americans, Hispanics, and veterans don’t have high school diplomas.
Here’s what the White House transcript insists Biden says:
We’ve seen record lows in unemployment, particularly — and I’ve focused on this my whole career — particularly for African Americans and Hispanic workers and veterans, you know, and the workers without high-school diplomas.
Which did he say, the racist version, or the not-so-racist version? Was the White House covering up for a slip? It’s not out of the realm of possibility, given his past remarks. And I’m not saying we should trust the White House transcript either — they have a history of covering up Biden’s mistakes — but to trust our ears. My ears are kind of sure he subtly slurred an “and” in there. But I’m not sure.
To help settle this, I’ve slowed down the video by 50%. Here it is.
Did Joe Biden say “…particularly for African Americans and Hispanic workers and veterans — you know, the workers without high school diplomas.”
or
“…particularly for African Americans and Hispanic workers and veterans — you know, and the workers without high school… pic.twitter.com/HFisI9VMpd
— Matt Margolis (@mattmargolis) September 16, 2023
I have to admit that, even in the slowed-down video, it’s a tough call. And believe me, I have no reason to give Joe Biden the benefit of the doubt here except for the fact I am not 100% sure that he suggested that blacks, Hispanics, and veterans don’t have high school diplomas. This White House doesn’t tend to send out Biden’s prepared remarks ahead of events.
I’m not trying to defend Biden here. I think he’s a despicable human being and a racist, but did he really say what many believe he said? Honestly, I’m like 51% “He said ‘and’,” and 49% “He didn’t say ‘and.’”
What do you think?