Advisor Symone Sanders and Writer Jemele Hill Provide Cover For Biden’s ‘You Ain’t Black’ Comments

Joe Biden senior advisor Symone Sanders had an interesting take on the comments that Biden made during an early morning interview today. She claimed that when he told black people that they “ain’t black” if they don’t vote for him, he made those comments “in jest.”

She said that “Biden spent his career fighting alongside and for the African American community” and that “He won his party’s nomination by earning every vote and meeting people where they are.”

Apparently her and Biden believe that to win votes from people in her community, it is a contest where the person with the best “record” wins as she said, “he was making the distinction that he would put his record with the African American community up against Trump’s any day.”

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.

— Symone D. Sanders (@SymoneDSanders) May 22, 2020

The Trump campaign hit back by saying that the comments were “clearly not ‘in jest.'”

This is very clearly not "in jest" https://t.co/LMY1zKcHOQ

— Trump War Room – Text TRUMP to 88022 & get the APP (@TrumpWarRoom) May 22, 2020

Atlantic writer Jemele Hill also was sympathetic to the comments and tried to excuse them by saying that “The issue wasn’t what Joe Biden said, because it was accurate. The issue was that it came from Biden. It also was clearly a joke that didn’t land.”

She accused President Trump of “yesterday” declaring “his public devotion to a Nazi sympathizer.” She wondered “where all this outrage” was then.

The issue wasn’t what Joe Biden said, because it was accurate. The issue was that it came from Biden. It also was clearly a joke that didn’t land. But I’m wondering where all this outrage was yesterday when y’all president declared his public devotion to a Nazi sympathizer.

— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) May 22, 2020

She went further with it and called the comments “accurate” because of “Trump’s very clearly anti-black policies and positions. So if you’re a black person voting for Trump, you are actively choosing to vote against yourself and black people.” She wondered that “if you’re anti-black” what does that make you?

It’s accurate because of Trump’s very clearly anti-black policies and positions. So if you’re a black person voting for Trump, you are actively choosing to vote against yourself and black people. So if you’re anti-black then that makes you … what exactly?

It’s accurate because of Trump’s very clearly anti-black policies and positions. So if you’re a black person voting for Trump, you are actively choosing to vote against yourself and black people. So if you’re anti-black then that makes you … what exactly? https://t.co/GdkGQHMDIz

— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) May 22, 2020

Hill also claimed that “white folks” outraged by the comments aren’t in any position “to speak about black identity or the black experience.”

Me watching white folks act outraged on behalf of black folks because Biden said “if you vote for Trump, you ain’t black” … as if these same white folks are in any position to speak about black identity or the black experience pic.twitter.com/PQq9VfCnmR

— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) May 22, 2020