Trump argues black voters 'will not be able to vote for' Joe Biden because of '94 law


President Trump decidedly did not leave U.S. politics at the water's edge during his long weekend in Japan. On Tuesday morning in Tokyo, Trump fired off two more tweets about 2020 Democratic frontrunner Joe Biden, this time hitting him for his role in enacting a 1994 crime bill.
"Super Predator was the term associated with the 1994 Crime Bill" that Biden "was so heavily involved in passing," Trump tweeted. "That was a dark period in American History," and Biden has not apologized. "Anyone associated with the 1994 Crime Bill will not have a chance of being elected," he added an hour later. "In particular, African Americans will not be able to vote for you."
But Biden never used the phrase "superpredator" — that was Hillary Clinton — and Trump has his own particularly dark history when it comes to race in that same time period.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Few people think Biden — vice president to America's first black president — would lose the African American vote to Trump, who frequently pushed the lie that the first black president was born in Africa. But that's not the point, says Bloomberg's Sahil Kapur. "If Biden is the nominee, Trump is going to use the '94 crime bill to try and depress black turnout, a la Hillary Clinton and 'superpredators.' ... Low turnout hurt Dems badly in MI WI PA."
The 1994 law is now broadly unpopular among Democrats. "There's a whole lot of talk about Biden and the crime bill," Biden said in New Hampshire last week. He didn't apologize but he cited "three big things" he stands behind: "One-third of the $10 billion was for prevention," the bill was packaged with an assault weapons ban and Biden's Violence Against Women's Act, and "we also set up drug courts so that we could divert people. They should be treated, not in jail."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Nepal chooses toddler as its new ‘living goddess’
Under the Radar Girls between two and four are typically chosen to live inside the temple as the Kumari – until puberty strikes
-
October 5 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include half-truth hucksters, Capitol lockdown, and more
-
Jaguar Land Rover’s cyber bailout
Talking Point Should the government do more to protect business from the ‘cyber shockwave’?
-
Museum head ousted after Trump sword gift denial
Speed Read Todd Arrington, who led the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, denied the Trump administration a sword from the collection as a gift for King Charles
-
Trump declares ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartels
speed read This provides a legal justification for recent lethal military strikes on three alleged drug trafficking boats
-
Supreme Court rules for Fed’s Cook in Trump feud
Speed Read Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook can remain in her role following Trump’s attempts to oust her
-
Judge rules Trump illegally targeted Gaza protesters
Speed Read The Trump administration’s push to arrest and deport international students for supporting Palestine is deemed illegal
-
Trump: US cities should be military ‘training grounds’
Speed Read In a hastily assembled summit, Trump said he wants the military to fight the ‘enemy within’ the US
-
US government shuts down amid health care standoff
Speed Read Democrats said they won’t vote for a deal that doesn’t renew Affordable Care Act health care subsidies
-
YouTube to pay Trump $22M over Jan. 6 expulsion
Speed Read The president accused the company of censorship following the suspension of accounts post-Capitol riot
-
Oregon sues to stop Trump military deployment
Speed Read The president wants to send the National Guard into Portland