Breakfast Club co-host Charlamagne Tha God slammed Democratic presidential candidates Joe Biden and Michael Bloomberg during a CNN interview on Wednesday night, saying that they had “the most racist policies toward black people.”
Charlamagne Tha God made the remarks when asked by CNN’s Erin Burnett about whether Biden will be able to turn his campaign around in South Carolina.
“Possibly. I mean, old black people in South Carolina do love Joe Biden,” he said. “But I mean, I would have to ask black voters the question, like, why do old white men who have the most racist legislation toward black people, why are they, you know, the top two front runners when it comes to black support, you know, Joe Biden and Bloomberg?”
“You know, I would ask that question especially now if I was a black voter, and nobody likes a loser, right? he continued. “We saw what happened to him in Iowa, you know?”
When asked about why he thought Biden was maintaining his lead with black voters, he said, “I think that it is the Barack Obama effect. I think it’s the fact that he was, you know, Barack Obama’s vice president.”
WATCH:
TRANSCRIPT:
BURNETT: Tonight, Joe Biden reassuring supporters that his campaign is still on track after fourth and fifth place finishes in Iowa and New Hampshire.
Biden telling donors in a conference call today that his campaign will gain ground once black and Latino voters have had their say in Nevada and South Carolina. OUTFRONT now, Charlamagne Tha God, host of the radio show “The
Breakfast Club”. It is a must stop for candidates on the campaign trail.
And also, you are a South Carolina native.
CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD, RADIO HOST: Yes.
BURNETT: As you were saying, you’re just there. You’re going down again this weekend.
CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: Yes.
BURNETT: So Joe Biden is telling — gets on the phone today with donors and says, look, don’t worry, we’re in a good position, we’re going to turn things around once black voters have had their say in South Carolina, right?
He keeps talking about South Carolina.
Do you think he’s right?
CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: Possibly. I mean, old black people in South Carolina do love Joe Biden. But I mean, I would have to ask black voters the question, like, why do old white men who have the most racist legislation toward black people, why are they, you know, the top two front runners when it comes to black support, you know, Joe Biden and Bloomberg?
You know, I would ask that question especially now if I was a black voter, and nobody likes a loser, right? We saw what happened to him in Iowa, you know?
BURNETT: Well, that’s — people like — right.
(CROSSTALK)
CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: What happened to him in New Hampshire. I don’t know. Fourth and fifth place finishes? Eh.
BURNETT: So the question is how that will change the polls. I mean, obviously, the latest poll from Quinnipiac, he is leading overall with black voters by 27 percent.
CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: Yes.
BURNETT: Obviously, you’re making it clear you are not supporting Biden at this point.
But what do you think it is about him as to why he is maintaining that hold, Charlamagne?
CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: I think that it is the Barack Obama effect. I think it’s the fact that he was, you know, Barack Obama’s vice president. But I think that lot of younger voters have been — a lot of younger black voters have been doing their due diligence, doing their research and they are aware of the ’94 crime bill and they’re aware of the ’86 crack laws.
BURNETT: Yes.
CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: And I think that is a big strike against him, and it’s a strike that he hasn’t really apologized for, you know? It’s more of, well, the national crime bill didn’t cause mass incarceration, you know? He still holds on to those things.
And we all know the best apology is changing behavior, but more importantly, best for Biden or Bloomberg is to me a black agenda. The same way that they sat around and they systemically created things to oppress and marginalize black people, they should sit around with some black folks and create a black agenda to up lift those same communities they once hurt.
BURNETT: So, you know, you have Biden doing well and then you got Pete Buttigieg. Now, he is ramping up in South Carolina. He has struggled with the African-American community. He has his first endorsement though from a black lawmaker in the state of South Carolina. You sat down with him in South Carolina and you pushed him on his record, you know?
You come from South Bend, 25 percent of your community is black. They have not been supporting you. How come?
I wanted to play part of your conversation with him. Here you are.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETE BUTTIGIEG (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: A lot of black folks have gotten the feeling that Democrats running for president take black folks for granted.
CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: You all feel that way? OK, make more noise. That is not — y’all are kind of quiet. You feel that way and let’s hear it.
BUTTIGIEG: Or they talk about the black vote like it’s some guy, like it’s a monolith, right? And everybody thinks the same.
CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: Absolutely.
BUTTIGIEG: And so what we’re having right now I think is a conversation that is going to a deeper level.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: So, you know, you and I have talked a lot through this election already. You had originally called him authentic and honest. That was even before you had obviously that chance to talk to him. He is getting 4 percent in the latest national poll among black voters, right? He is doing terribly.
Are they missing something?
CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: I definitely think that they are missing something. I think that they need to check out the Douglass Plan, because Mayor Pete was one of the first people to step up, you know, and actually say, look, I have a black agenda and I think that is what you have to do when either you have done things to oppress and marginalize people, like Biden and Bloomberg, or you haven’t done enough, like Mayor Pete has done.
You have to systematically sit down and come up with an agenda, come up with a plan to uplift those same people that you kept your foot on.
BURNETT: So I would give another look at him. And I have to ask you about Tom Steyer, OK, and I got to ask you about Tom Steyer, Charlamagne, because he is polling very well. The latest Fox News poll has him at 14 percent among black voters in South Carolina. There are other polls who have — which have had him even higher. He talked about this, he brought up the issue of reparations on his own in the last debate.
Here is a couple things he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM STEYER (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Unless you can appeal to the diverse parts of the Democratic Party, including specifically the black community, and I am doing that right now with 25 percent of blacks down in South Carolina.
I am for reparations to African-Americans in this country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: You know, I was in that room, I was in the spin room next to that. It was an awkward moment. You have a bunch of white people up there talking about blacks.
CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: Yes.
BURNETT: What was your reaction when you hear what he is saying? And, obviously, you see how he’s doing in South Carolina and the polls do show that he has resonated.
CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: So, guys like Tom Steyer, he’s a billionaire, so he got a lot of money, so he is cutting a lot of checks, you know? And also —
BURNETT: Eighteen million bucks in South Carolina in advertising.
CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: Yes. And I know that is also dream (INAUDIBLE) so people are telling us exactly what we want to hear. So, the conversation about reparations is great, but, you know, I would love to see him come up with, like I said, a tangible solution to the things that are affecting the black community.
You know, I’m not saying that reparations isn’t a tangible solution because it is, but I mean, can they really get that passed through a Republican Senate, you know? So I would rather see something that I know can directly impact my community right now happen. I think reparations is just a good talking point for a lot of the Democrats.
BURNETT: Would you give Mayor Bloomberg another look? You just heard the mayor of Washington, she’s talking about housing and things that he has done, that is sort — his actions and his commitment post stop- and-frisk to her are what matter.
CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: I mean, listen, once again, the best apology is change of behavior.
But in this case the best behavior is a black agenda. So a guy like Mayor Bloomberg who had a racist policy like stop-and-frisk, he has to sit around with some constituents and come up with an agenda that can uplift the black community the same way stop and frisk policy hurt the black community, you know?
Listen, I’m definitely going to vote, you know, this year. But I’m not — you know, fear of Donald Trump is not enough for me to vote. I’m voting for the president who is doing something that’s going to directly empower black people.
BURNETT: In a word, yes or no, have you decided?
CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: No, I haven’t decided yet.
BURNETT: All right.