‘I said the FIRST!’ Biden boasts that he has support of ‘only’ female African-American senator while on stage with Kamala Harris
Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden was forced to swiftly correct himself during a debate after bragging that he had support from the “only” black female senator ever elected, despite standing mere feet from Kamala Harris.
While giving a brief monologue about the immense support he enjoys from African Americans, the former VP was stopped dead in his tracks by fellow contestant Kamala Harris (D-California), a US senator who is both black and female.
“I have more people supporting me in the black community, that have announced for me, because they know me, they know who I am,” Biden said, listing a number of examples before adding as the cherry on top: “The only African American woman that’s ever been elected to the United States Senate.”
BIDEN: “The only African-American woman that’s ever been elected to the U.S. Senate,” supports me.
HARRIS: “Nope. That’s not true. The other one is here.”#DemDebate
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) November 21, 2019
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
“Nope. That’s not true. The other one is here,” Harris said in reference to herself, erupting into a belly laugh, which quickly infected the audience.
After doing his best impression of a deer in headlights, Biden quickly gathered himself, but the gaffe-prone candidate still couldn’t get it right, pleading (erroneously): “No, I said the first!”
The brief exchange with Harris was not the first time the two candidates have traded blows over race in debates, clashing over busing policies linked to school segregation in the 1970s during July’s Democratic debate, though with markedly fewer laughs.
Biden’s new gaffe did not go unnoticed on Twitter, as netizens wasted no time in poking fun at the self-described “gaffe machine.”
Senility is hard to accept.
— The Unsilent Majority (@MajorUnsilent) November 21, 2019
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Someone give him a memory test.
— Kevin (@kevinf456) November 21, 2019
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
“When you try to be woke and it backfires. Seen it many times,” a user observed.
— MedicineMan22 (@medicine_man_22) November 21, 2019
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Some also argued that Harris, who identifies as black and Indian, born to a Jamaican father and an Indian mother, is not technically African American. However, many immigrants hailing from the Caribbean also trace their ancestry back to Africa.
Like this story? Share it with a friend!