- Fox News host Harris Faulkner criticized former Vice President Joe Biden after he suggested black voters “ain’t black” if they remained undecided in the upcoming election.
- “This is more than just a little offensive. It is short-sighted,” Faulkner said. “It is a blind spot for this former vice president.”
- Biden later apologized for his remark during a call with black business leaders.
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Fox News host Harris Faulkner criticized former Vice President Joe Biden, after he suggested black voters “ain’t black” if they were undecided in the upcoming election between the presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential nominee and President Donald Trump.
Faulkner’s statement came after Biden appeared on “The Breakfast Club” radio show on Friday morning. At the end of the interview with host Charlamagne Tha God, the former vice president said, “If you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t black.”
Biden later apologized for his remark during a call with black business leaders with the US Black Chambers.
“I should not have been so cavalier,” he reportedly said. “I’ve never, never, ever taken the African American community for granted.”
Biden added that he “shouldn’t have been such a wise guy,” and that “no one should have to vote for any party based on their race, their religion, their background,” according to CBS News reporter Ed O’Keefe.
White House via Flickr
Faulkner, who is black, described Biden’s comments as “hurtful.”
“I’ve been fighting against this notion that you’re not black enough unless you think a certain way, you vote a certain way, you speak a certain way, you do certain things,” Faulkner said on Fox News. “My whole life, I grew up military — pretty much neutral along the zone of ‘can we all just get along no matter what we look like.'”
Faulkner’s father served in the US Army as an aviator and completed two tours in Vietnam.
“This is more than just a little offensive. It is short-sighted,” she added. “It is a blind spot for this former vice president. He should have gotten up immediately on whatever venue, microphone he had. I would have said it for him immediately right there … and say, ‘you know what, let me restate that.'”
Biden’s comment also attracted criticism from Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who is the only black Republican serving in the US Senate.
“Joe Biden’s comments are the most arrogant and condescending thing I’ve heard in a very long time,” Scott said in a tweet. “I am offended, but not surprised.”
Trump later retweeted Faulkner’s televised segment and described her as “a great American.”
Trump’s campaign also capitalized on the incident by selling t-shirts on its website that said, “#YouAintBlack – Joe Biden.”
“Sport this shirt and make sure NO ONE forgets the words #YouAintBlack came out of Joe Biden’s mouth,” the t-shirt’s description said.
