President Joe Biden spoke at the NAACP’s annual convention on Tuesday, expressing confidence in Vice President Kamala Harris’s capability to assume the presidency, as some within the Democratic Party encourage him to step down before the November 5 election.
“She’s not only a great vice president, she could be president of the United States,” said the 81-year-old Biden about the 59-year-old Harris, who stands as the top candidate to succeed him if he chooses to retire.
However, Biden did not hint at any plans to withdraw, instead sharing his vision for the first 100 days of a potential second term, including a commitment to passing voting-rights legislation “come hell or high water.”
In his address, the current president sharply criticized Republican nominee Donald Trump, despite his recent Oval Office appeal for a more civil campaign following the Saturday assassination attempt on the 78-year-old Trump.
“Donald Trump’s presidency was hell for black America,” Biden declared.
“What the hell’s the matter with this man?” Biden questioned, recounting the National Guard’s response to the 2020 protests and riots after George Floyd’s murder.
Biden also accused Trump of dishonesty about their records on black unemployment, mocking Trump’s focus on creating “black jobs.”
“I love this phrase, ‘black jobs’, tells us a lot about the man and about his character,” Biden commented.
“Folks, I know what a black job is. It’s the vice president of the United States. I know what a black job is: the first black president in American history, Barack Obama.”
Biden reminded the audience that Trump “spread the birthism lie about Barack Obama, saying he wasn’t born in America and he wasn’t a US citizen.”
The president warned that Republicans would “undo everything the NAACP stands for.”
The Democrats are planning to officially nominate Biden as early as this month, prior to the August 19-22 Democratic convention, though some congressional members are expected to renew efforts to urge the oldest-ever sitting president to step aside after his poor performance in the June 27 debate.
To date, 20 House Democrats and one Democratic senator have requested Biden to withdraw, pointing to concerns over his cognitive health.
{Matzav.com}