Val Demings Defends Joe Biden, Slams Donald Trump
In an interview broadcast on Sunday, Florida Rep. Val Demings weighed in on the latest controversy involving former Vice President Joe Biden, The Hill reported.
Earlier this week, during a conversation with Charlamagne tha God on The Breakfast Club, Biden said that African Americans who are not sure whether to vote for him or President Donald Trump “ain’t black.” The former vice president quickly walked back his remarks, but he has been under fire since.
Speaking on CNN, Demings conceded that Biden “shouldn’t have” made the comment, but pointed out that he “apologized for it.” The Florida Democrat then ripped into Trump, suggesting that the president has no right to weaponize Biden’s mistakes, given his own record on race.
“I really think the gall and the nerve of President Trump to try to use this in his campaign — he who has since day one done everything within his power, of course supported by his enablers, to divide this country, particularly along racial lines.”
The Trump campaign has indeed taken advantage of the controversy, in what appears to be an attempt to hurt the former vice president’s standing among African Americans. The commander-in-chief’s re-election campaign is fundraising with T-shirts featuring Biden’s controversial comments and airing attack advertisements.
Trump and his allies reportedly plan on spending $1 million on social media ads attacking Biden over his support for the 1994 crime bill. Various video montages will reportedly be broadcast nationwide and in key swing states.
Demings also stressed that conversations about race are necessary and argued that racial disparities exist in housing, education, political participation, and health care.
“Mr. President, let’s have a serious conversation about race in America, and how about working for all people that you are supposed to represent, not just the privileged few?” she said.
The Florida Democrat added that Trump “searched high and low to find African American” members of Congress to attack Biden over the controversial comments, saying that “it would be nice to hear other Republicans, male or female, speak out on this issue.”
Demings is reportedly being considered for the position of Biden’s running mate in the 2020 presidential election. The former vice president has vowed to pick a female running mate, and publicly praised the congresswoman in May. His team has reportedly been impressed with what she has to offer.
Senators Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Kamala Harris of California, and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts are also thought to be on Biden’s shortlist.
The 63-year-old congresswoman was first elected to the House in 2016. Earlier this year, she served as a manager in the impeachment case against Trump.
