Lenard McKelvey, known as Charlamagne tha God from the Breakfast Club radio show, said he is casting his ballot for California Sen. Kamala Harris, not Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
During an interview with CNN host Don Lemon on Tuesday night, Charlamagne said he was “sick of old white male leadership in government,” describing Harris as a “change agent.” Earlier this summer, Charlamagne jousted with Biden after the Democratic nominee said black voters “ain’t black” if they support President Trump over him.
“Do you think that Kamala Harris on the ticket, do you think Sen. Harris, does that help with black men and women?” Lemon asked.
“Absolutely,” Charlamagne said. “When we were pushing for Joe Biden to pick a black woman as his VP, Sen. Harris was who I had in mind. And I’m voting for Kamala Harris. I’ll tell you that in a heartbeat. I’m not necessarily voting for Joe Biden. I’m voting for Sen. Kamala Harris.”
The radio show host showed viewers his ballot next to him and reiterated his support for Harris multiple times.
“I’m just so tired of old white male leadership in politics. And I can’t speak for all black Americans. Black Americans aren’t monolithic. I’m only speaking for me,” he continued. “I’m sick of old white male leadership in government. Trump wants to make America great again. Biden wants to build back better. As a black man, I don’t want to do none of that. Because we know America has never been great for everyone, and when we talk about building back better, it’s like saying we’re trying to return things to normal, but America’s normal hasn’t worked for black people.”
One week after his contentious interview with the Breakfast Club, Biden told CNN host Dana Bash that he believed Charlamagne was a “wise guy” for asking if the Democratic candidate would return to the program to take additional questions. “It was a mistake, No. 1,” Biden said of his remarks toward black voters who may support Trump. “And I was smiling when he asked me the question. I shouldn’t have been such a wise guy with him. He was being a wise guy, and I responded in kind. I shouldn’t have done that. It was a mistake.”
