2020 Democratic front-runner Joe Biden asserted that “white folks are the reason we have institutional racism” and that such things “will not be tolerated” if he is elected president.
Speaking to a small group of reporters for more than an hour Tuesday, Biden said, “There has always been racism in America. White supremacists have always existed, they still exist,” according to the Associated Press.
He also said that institutional racism is a “white man’s problem visited on people of color” and that President Trump has made it worse. Biden stressed the importance of defeating Trump and ensuring he is held responsible for having deepened the nation’s racial rift.
Biden also boasted of his own record and his support among black voters, and pledged to campaign hard among the black community and in predominantly black institutions.
“The bad news is I have a long record,” Biden conceded, before adding, “The good news is I have a long record. People know me — at least they think they know me. I think after all this time, I think they have a sense of what my character is, who I am.”
“I’ve never, ever, ever in my entire life been in a circumstance where I’ve ever felt uncomfortable being in the black community,” he continued.
Making an oblique reference to the tussle over busing he had with California Sen. Kamala Harris during the first primary debate, the former vice president claimed that nobody in the black community thinks he is a racist. “I don’t think anyone thinks that about me,” he said.
Biden also maintained that he would “preferably” choose a running mate who is either a woman or a person of color, but neglected to commit to anyone yet.
