Congressman Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) said that he “cringed” when he heard former Vice President Joe Biden’s “you ain’t black” remark that he made on a recent radio morning show, though he defended the former vice president.
Speaking to radio host Charlamagne tha God on the “Breakfast Club” show, Biden said on Friday, “If you have a problem figuring out whether me or Trump, then you ain’t black.”
In a Tuesday appearance on “The View,” Clyburn said, “I cringed — no question about that.”
He added, “In this instance, Joe did not do as well as I had hoped in responding but I will say this, I go about my business every day, comparing Joe Biden to the alternative, not the Almighty. He is not a perfect person, none of us are.”
The South Carolina lawmaker continued, “My decision now is to determine who do I feel should be the next President of the United States and I do that by comparing the candidates to each other, not to the Almighty.”
When asked what he says to black Americans who may have been offended by Biden’s remark, Clyburn said, “I’ve done a lot of stuff with Joe Biden over the years and I would not have supported him if I did not think he was best suited to be the next President of the United States.”
Watch the video below:
Rep. James Clyburn tells us he “cringed” at Joe Biden’s “ain’t black” comment, but says Biden “is not a perfect person — none of us are.”
— The View (@TheView) May 26, 2020
“I would not have supported him if I did not think he was best suited to be the next president of the United States.” https://t.co/pmnCrwmnmq pic.twitter.com/5ZZmgghlvd
Clyburn plays a huge role on Capitol Hill as the 3rd-ranking Democrat in the House. His endorsement of Biden, just days before the South Carolina primary, is widely seen as helping Biden carry the state and turn the tide in a primary that seemed to be slipping away from him.
Biden apologized for the remark, saying, “I should not have been so cavalier. I’ve never, never, ever taken the African-American community for granted.” He added, “I shouldn’t have been such a wise guy.”
