BET co-founder Robert Johnson says Biden should 'apologize to every black person he meets' on campaign trail
Robert Johnson, co-founder of BET, lashed out at Joe Biden after he said black people "ain't black" if they are considering to vote for Trump over him.
“VP Biden’s statement today represents the arrogant and out-of-touch attitude of a paternalistic white candidate who has the audacity to tell Black people, the descendants of slaves, that they are not Black unless they vote for him,” Johnson said in a statement obtained by Fox News’ Bret Baier.
“This proves unequivocally that the Democratic nominee believes that Black people owe him their vote without question; even though, we as Black people know it is exactly the opposite. He should spend the rest of his campaign apologizing to every Black person he meets," he added.
Black Entertainment Television, a cable channel acquired by Viacom in 2001, is the largest TV network dedicated to black audiences. Johnson, its co-founder, currently heads the asset management firm RLJ Companies, according to Breitbart.
Ther former vice president's controversial comments came during an interview on The Breakfast Club radio show on Friday. “Listen, you’ve got to come see us when you come to New York, Vice President Biden,” host Charlamagne Tha God told Biden at the end of the interview. “It’s a long way until November. We’ve got more questions.”
“You’ve got more questions?” Biden responded. “Well I tell you what, if you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t black.”
Charlamagne then told the candidate that “it don’t have nothing to do with Trump, it has to do with the fact [that] I want something for my community.”
Biden's remarks also drew a swift rebuke from a number of black conservatives, including Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC). “1.3 million black Americans already voted for Trump in 2016,” Scott tweeted. “This morning, Joe Biden told every single one of us we ‘ain’t black.’ I’d say I’m surprised, but it’s sadly par for the course for Democrats to take the black community for granted and browbeat those that don’t agree.”
Meanwhile, prominent black cultural personalities also questioned the comment, including Sean “Diddy” Combs. "Aye, bruh @JoeBiden I already told you the #BlackVoteAintFree," Diddy tweeted.
However, a campaign spokeswoman tried to defend Biden saying his words were intended to be "in jest." “Vice President Biden spent his career fighting alongside and for the African American community. He won his party’s nomination by earning every vote and meeting people where they are and that’s exactly what he intends to do this November,” spokeswoman Symone Sanders wrote on social media.
“The comments made at the end of the Breakfast Club interview were in jest, but let’s be clear about what the VP was saying: he was making the distinction that he would put his record with the African American community up against Trump’s any day. Period,” she added.
Nonetheless, the Democratic presumptive nominee was forced to issue an apology to leaders from the community. “I should not have been so cavalier. I’ve never, never, ever taken the African-American community for granted. I shouldn't have been such a wise guy," Biden said during a conference call with the US Black Chamber of Commerce on Friday.
"There are African Americans who think that Trump was worth voting for, I don't think so. I'm prepared to put my record against his," he added.