Jim Clyburn says he cringed over Biden's 'you ain't black' remark

Jim Clyburn
(Image credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) is offering a defense of former Vice President Joe Biden following controversial remarks about black voters while admitting the comments made him cringe.

Clyburn, the House majority whip who delivered a crucial endorsement of Biden ahead of his victory in the South Carolina Democratic primary, spoke to The View on Tuesday about Biden's recent comments to The Breakfast Club that "if you have a problem figuring out whether you're for me or for Trump, then you ain't black."

"I cringed, no question about that," Clyburn told The View on Tuesday regarding Biden's comments, also saying that Biden "did not do as well as I had hoped in responding."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

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.

Sign up

Clyburn went on to say that Biden is "not a perfect person" but should be compared "to the alternative, not the almighty." To those who were offended by what Biden said, Clyburn said that "all of us have misspoken" at times and said things "we do not really mean that come out a little bit wrong, and that's what happened here."

Following backlash to his remark, Biden said that he "shouldn't have been such a wise guy" and that was perhaps "too cavalier," adding that "no one should have to vote for any party based on their race, their religion, their background." Brendan Morrow

See more
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.