In a recently published interview that was his first as president of the United States, Joe Biden falsely claimed that his predecessor campaigned on the rhetoric that black people were taking jobs away from other Americans.
This is hilarious, as it happens, because President Donald Trump campaigned on and heavily promoted, worked toward and touted his success at getting black people lots and lots of jobs.
Seriously, the dude loved talking about both how he was going to make sure black people had jobs and how he actually did it, with the enthusiastic support of his small but incredibly vocal African-American base, which surged during his presidency.
Seriously, his support among black voters was booming to historic heights for a Republican candidate.
In an emotive piece on his interview with Biden, which was given right after the 46th president was sworn into office in January, Edward-Isaac Dovere of The Atlantic waxed philosophical about our then-brand-new president’s journey to the White House and his “battle for the soul of America.”
Biden enlightened Dovere regarding just how brilliant he had been to frame his campaign in this way, despite all the nay-saying from the media.
“Everybody in the press thought that the party had moved, that I was from another era, that it wasn’t relevant. ‘What the hell are you talking about, “the soul of America”? For Christ’s sake, Joe, talk about global warming,’ or whatever the hell they wanted me to talk about,” the president articulately explained to his interviewer.
But you see, he continued, he had an Orange Man to vanquish. Biden explained that “what I saw with Trump was he didn’t understand anything about who we are as a people.”
So the dude who loved America, constantly pointed back to our Founding Fathers and the value of patriotism, and actually can remember on the spot how the Declaration of Independence goes (which Biden cannot) was the one who doesn’t understand who Americans are as a people?
Right. Whatever you say, big guy, you’re the boss now, right?
Anyway, Biden rambled on about Trump’s “transparent selfishness, his willingness to say anything, his overwhelming appeal to prejudice and division. He didn’t have any social redeeming value, as far as I can see.”
There it is yet again — a Democrat calling a Republican irredeemable. Good move, Joe “Unity” Biden. In another borrowed line used by so many on the left, Biden claimed he simply couldn’t believe that Trump actually managed to get people to vote for him.
“I underestimated his ability to take the big lie and turn it into something that was salable,” he said.
Speaking of big lies, Biden went on to tell a massive one when attempting to explain why Trump hoodwinked so many Americans into joining and supporting his movement.
“The people who built the country are the people who are all being left behind. When that happens, and you don’t have a counter-voice to The reason you lost your job is because of an immigrant; the reason you lost that job is because those black folks are taking your job — it opens up the door to the Charlottesvilles of the world,” he said.
So Biden is basically lying his ever-loving socks off, and the fact-checkers are nowhere to be found. Trump, in fact, mostly said the exact opposite of what Biden claims. And again, his success at winning over black voters confounded Democrats.
Biden is either sorely mistaken or incredibly dishonest. Does he believe Trump’s actual policy platform was to put black people “back in chains” as he once warned black voters was the case with 2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romney? Or did he know perfectly well this Atlantic writer wasn’t going to push back on his fantastical claim?
Either way, democracy’s defenders against darkness are seemingly nowhere to be found.
What makes matters worse is if Trump ever actually told Americans that they were losing their jobs to black people, those voters would have been pretty angry to see how his actual presidency played out.
As the 45th president often bragged with some of his most enthusiastic, signature bravado, the Trump era saw record-low black unemployment including black youth unemployment and a record-low black poverty rate.
In fact, that’s exactly what he proudly said at a September event in Atlanta:
“In the first three years, we achieved the lowest black unemployment rate in history. The black youth unemployment rate reached an all-time low. We achieved the largest job gains for African-Americans on record. Black Americans saw the largest increase in homeownership. The poverty rate for African-Americans reached the lowest level ever recorded.”
Under Biden? Sure, it’s only been four months and we’re on the other end of an economically devastating pandemic, but for anyone keeping track at home, black unemployment sharply rose after he took office.
Just saying.
It’s not super surprising that Biden just completely fabricated the claim that his political rival used talking points about race that no one has used for probably half a century, considering not only has he actually been in politics for half a century, but his own views on race often appear stuck in the bygone era in which he was a young, fiery congressman.
This is a guy who was tight with Sen. Robert Byrd — you know, the dude who was in the KKK — told black Trump voters they “ain’t black” and routinely makes tone-deaf racist comments like “poor kids are just as bright … as white kids” or that we were all able to stay at home during COVID-19 because a “black woman” stocked shelves.
There’s also the small matter of his apparent cognitive decline, which could explain why he has imaginary memories of the Orange Man’s campaign rhetoric and thinks that “Black people are gonna take your jobs!” has been a relevant political talking point at any point over the last 40 years.
I mean, this is the dude who thinks the state should make sure today’s parents need to make sure they’re putting the “record player” on in their kid’s room at night.
Is he lying, or does he occasionally forget it’s the 21st century? Who even knows anymore?