Joe Biden has landed in hot water over a viral clip of him suggesting why people were able to quarantine during the coronavirus pandemic.
“They’re saying, ‘Jeez, the reason I was able to stay sequestered in my home is because some Black woman was able to stack the grocery shelf,'” Biden is heard saying in the clip.
The 10-second clip, which was originally shared on Sept. 29, was just a snippet of comments the Democratic nominee made during a Sept. 15 roundtable with veterans in Tampa, Fla.
In the expanded remarks, Biden had expressed a positive tone in dealing with the problems the country faces, particularly the ones that stem from the coronavirus outbreak. He said that he’s “more optimistic … than I’ve ever been in my whole career.”
“And they say, ‘Well, why in the hell would you say that Biden? You just talked about all these difficulties.’ Well, I’ll tell you why. Because the American public, the blinders have been taken off,” Biden told the roundtable attendees. “They’ve all of a sudden seen a hell of a lot clearer. They’re saying, ‘Jeeze, the reason I was able to stay sequestered in my home is because some Black woman was able to stack the grocery shelf. Or a young Hispanic is out there, these dreamers are out there, 60,000 of them acting as first responders and nurses and docs.’ Or all of a sudden people are realizing, ‘My Lord, these people have done so much. Not just Black, White, across the board, have done so much for me. We can do this. We can get things done.’ And I think they’re ready.”
Could you speak a bit louder for those of us in the back?
“The reason I was able to stay sequestered in my home was because some black woman was able to stock the grocery shelf.” pic.twitter.com/TV5yDQKMra
— Dan Mellis (@MtgGuyDan) October 5, 2020
Biden’s remarks didn’t go viral until Monday after they were amplified by Turning Point USA senior contributor Rob Smith.
The former vice president was slammed on social media with critics calling the comments “racist” and joking about the Biden campaign calling a “lid.”
“What???? And Black folks STILL giving him a pass!” National Diversity Coalition for Trump CEO Dr. Darrell Scott exclaimed.
“You ain’t Black if you ain’t stocking a grocery shelf for Joe Biden,” political commentator Dave Rubin quipped, alluding to Biden’s infamous “You ain’t Black” gaffe from earlier this year.
“This should spark a lot of conversation about the morality of the lockdowns and how we’ve made lower-income Americans into human shields,” Ricochet editor Bethany Mandel tweeted.
What???? And Black folks STILL giving him a pass! https://t.co/AZPTxQy0XF
— Dr.Darrell Scott (@PastorDScott) October 5, 2020
You ain’t black if you ain’t stocking a grocery shelf for Joe Biden. https://t.co/IyIwm9TmbC
— Dave Rubin (@RubinReport) October 5, 2020
This should spark a lot of conversation about the morality of the lockdowns and how we’ve made lower-income Americans into human shields. https://t.co/Bcs6ISfJKe
— Bethany S. Mandel (@bethanyshondark) October 5, 2020
Many suggested that there would be an enormous uproar if President Trump or a Republican were caught saying what Biden said.
“Imagine the media’s reaction if Trump said this,” RealClearPolitics co-founder and president Tom Bevan said.
“Close your eyes. Picture Trump saying this. Now picture the media reaction. Enjoy your evening!” The Hill media reporter Joe Concha exclaimed.
“Imagine @realDonaldTrump, or any Republican said what Joe Biden just said here,” Daily Wire contributor Harry Khachatrian similarly expressed.
Imagine the media's reaction if Trump said this. 🤯https://t.co/NPwVz25JS4
— Tom Bevan (@TomBevanRCP) October 5, 2020
Close your eyes. Picture Trump saying this. Now picture the media reaction. Enjoy your evening! https://t.co/bs1bnhNamj
— Joe Concha (@JoeConchaTV) October 5, 2020
Imagine @realDonaldTrump, or any Republican said what Joe Biden just said here:
“The reason I was able to stay sequestered in my home [during the pandemic] is because some black woman was able to stack the grocery shelf.”https://t.co/ri3GoxQ8sj
— Harry Khachatrian (@Harry1T6) October 5, 2020
The Biden campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment.
The account of the pro-Trump Twitter user who originally shared the video clip appeared to have been suspended sometime Monday evening after his tweet went viral. Fox News reached out to Twitter with an inquiry as to what led to the account’s suspension.
In May, Biden had to walk back comments he made to “Breakfast Club” host, Charlamagne Tha God, when he said “you ain’t Black” to Black voters who were still undecided between supporting him or President Trump in the election.
In August, the former VP was similarly in damage control mode when he appeared to disparage the diversity of the Black community, saying “unlike the African American community, with notable exceptions, the Latino community is an incredibly diverse community with incredibly different attitudes about different things.”
Story cited here.
