WASHINGTON – In an impassioned speech to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) on Tuesday, President Joe Biden slammed former President Donald Trump for using the phrase “black jobs” during a debate last month.
Speaking at the organization’s national convention in Las Vegas, Nevada, Biden appealed to black voters to help secure their votes amid a slump in support for his reelection campaign.
In his speech, Biden criticized Trump for his comments during the June 27 presidential debate that immigrants are taking “black jobs” and “Hispanic jobs” from Americans.
“Folks, I know what a ‘black job’ is. It’s the vice president of the United States of America,” he said, referring to Vice President Kamala Harris, to loud cheers. “I know what a ‘black job’ is. It’s the first black president in American history, Barack Obama.”
Following his remarks, voices were raised chanting, “Four more years, four more years.”
Biden added that he has also nominated Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court.
“I promised myself and I promised America that my administration would be American,” he said.
In his speech, Biden highlighted that unemployment among Black Americans is at its lowest, that his administration is investing $16 billion in Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and that he intends to cut taxes for working-class Americans.
During his speech, the governor also announced that his administration is working to limit rent increases to 5%, but while reading from the teleprompter, he mistakenly said his administration was working to limit rent increases to $55.
Polls show Biden still leading among black voters, though his support has slipped slightly. Biden still has a large lead over Trump among black voters.
Biden continues to face pressure from some members of his own party to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race, but the president told the crowd during his speech that he is “fully committed.”
But he noted that Harris would do an excellent job as commander in chief.
“By the way, not only would she be a great vice president, but she could also be president of the United States,” Biden said.
