During the latest edition of his HBO show Real Time , comedian Bill Maher defended former Vice President Joe Biden against criticism, Fox News reported on Saturday.
Biden, the Democratic Party’s presumptive presidential nominee, has faced a barrage of criticism for suggesting that African Americans who are not sure whether to vote for him or Donald Trump “ain’t black.”
Maher conceded that Biden’s comment was inappropriate.
“I actually must tell you, I hate when people use that sort of phrase, ‘If you don’t agree with this opinion I have, you ain’t this’ thing. You ain’t a woman, you ain’t an American, you ain’t a patriot’ I’m not for that,” he began.
The comedian added that “Trump is all-in on the cops and the cops, let’s be honest, almost all of them are all-in on Trump.”
“In that light, I kind of understand what Joe Biden is saying. Why would a black person vote for Donald Trump?”
Panelist Soledad O’Brien defended Biden as well, but she noted that the former vice president’s comment was “awkward and lame.” O’Brien added that she does not see a “huge number” of African Americans backing Trump in November.
Biden made the controversial comment last week during an interview with The Breakfast Club host Charlamagne tha God. During the same interview, Biden was grilled over his support for the 1994 crime bill and questioned about his tough-on-crime record.
The former vice president later apologized for making the remarks, stressing that his campaign does not take African American support for granted.
Some did not accept the apology. Black Entertainment Television (BET) co-founder Robert Johnson said that Biden should spend the 2020 campaign “apologizing to every black person he meets.”
Trump’s 2020 campaign slammed Biden as well, and reportedly plans on investing $1 million in advertisements criticizing the former vice president’s relationship with the African-American community. Trump’s campaign also fund-raised with T-shirts featuring Biden’s controversial comment.
Maher, O’Brien and political scientist Ian Bremmer also discussed the 2020 presidential election and Biden’s chances against Trump. O’Brien predicted that Trump would be blamed for the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic, which could help Biden win.
Maher and Bremmer argued that Trump could take credit for reopening the economy while blaming China for the spread of COVID-19 and attacking Democrats who called for stricter lockdown and social distancing measures.
Polling suggests that Biden is the favorite to win the White House. For instance, a recent Fox News poll put the former vice president eight points ahead of Trump nationwide.
