Jill Biden says the American people ‘didn’t buy’ it when California Senator Kamala Harris implied her husband Joe Biden is racist with her attack on the former vice president during the first Democratic presidential debate.
In a wide-ranging interview with CNN on Monday, the Bidens discussed the 2020 presidential race, but also spoke candidly about personal topics, including their son Hunter’s addiction issues.
The former second lady called Harris’ criticism of Biden over race and his past work with Senate segregationists ‘the biggest surprise’ to her in the party’s 2020 race so far.
Jill Biden said as soon as she heard Harris’ words ‘I do not believe you are a racist,’ she thought, ‘Uh oh, what’s coming next?’
Jill Biden said in an interview with CNN on Monday that the American people ‘didn’t buy it’ when Kamala Harris implied her husband Joe Biden is racist
The former second lady said Harris’ criticism of Biden over race and his past work with Senate segregationists were ‘the biggest surprise’ to her in the party’s 2020 race so far
She continued: ‘The American people know Joe Biden. They know his values. They know what he stands for. And they didn’t buy it.’
‘I think that they were looking at the past,’ Jill Biden added.
‘I mean, the one thing you cannot say about Joe is that he’s a racist. I mean, he got into politics because of his commitment to civil rights. And then to be elected with Barack Obama, and then someone is saying, you know, you’re a racist?’
Her comments come as Biden and Harris attempt to win over black voters, a crucial constituency in the Democratic nominating contest.
Biden has underscored his time as former President Barack Obama’s vice president as well as his own legacy on civil rights to defend himself, while Harris has torn into elements of Biden’s earlier career in the Senate.
Joe Biden said in the CNN interview that he’s been most surprised that the attacks have come from Democrats who know him.
‘It doesn’t make me second-guess, but it makes me decide that — look, this race is about the future, man,’ the former vice president said.
‘And we can go back and pick everybody’s record apart, if you want to go back 20, 30, 40 years, and take it out of context, because no one knows the context of the moment.’
Democratic presidential hopeful US Senator for California Kamala Harris used the first debate on June 27 to go after former Vice President Joe Biden’s record on race
Harris was selected at random to appear the same night of the two-night debate event in Miami as Biden did. They appeared on stage with eight other candidates, including former No. 2 candidate Bernie Sanders
‘And so it’s really easy to distort. It just surprised me a little bit, some of the stuff that’s come out, in terms of the attack lines. But I’m not going to go there,’ Biden said.
In the June 27 debate, Harris, who is Jamaican-American and was the only black person participating, told Biden: ‘I do not believe you are a racist.’
‘But I also believe – and it’s personal, and I was actually very – it was hurtful, to hear you talk about the reputations of two United States senators who built their reputations and career on the segregation of race in this country,’ she said.
Biden had praised two notorious, Democratic segregationists who he served with in the Senate in the 1970s.
Harris and Biden had a heated exchange on stage when Harris confronted the former vice president about his relationship with segregationist lawmakers and former anti-busing stance
Biden apologized at a campaign rally in Sumter, South Carolina, on July 6 for comments he made last month about working together with segregationist senators in the 1970s
One, James Eastland, from Mississippi, called African-Americans ‘flesh eaters’; the other, Herman Talmadge, ran for the Senate on a pledge to stop blacks and whites eating together in the Capitol itself.
Biden revealed at a private fundraising event that Eastland ‘didn’t call me boy,’ and said of their time in the Senate: ‘At least there was some civility.’
Harris confronted Biden about the remarks and his stance in the ’70s against busing to encourage racial integration in schools – he worked with the two segregationists to try to prevent federal imposition of the policy.
In a terse exchange that had her starring down the stage at the 76-year-old senator who represented Delaware, she reminded him that she was a beneficiary of busing.
Biden leaving the stage with his wife Jill after the first Democratic presidential candidates debate on June 27, after he had a heated debate with Kamala Harris
Jill Biden said in Monday’s CNN interview: ‘The one thing you cannot say about Joe is that he’s a racist’
Joe and Jill Biden at a campaign rally at Eakins Oval in Philadelphia on May 18. Biden is trying to win over black voters, a crucial constituency in the Democratic nominating contest
‘And it was not only that, but you also worked with them to oppose busing. And, you know, there was a little girl in California who was part of the second class to integrate her public schools, and she was bused to school every day.
‘And that little girl was me.’
Biden pushed back during the debate, claiming his comments about lawmakers who were pro-segregation were taken out of context and adding his views and voting record on busing were a mischaracterization of how he actually felt about the issue at the time.
The controversy reverberated for days, with Biden only issuing a detailed apology and explanation in a South Carolina speech on Sunday.
Harris was selected at random to appear the same night of the two-night debate event in Miami as Biden did. They appeared on stage with eight other candidates, including former No. 2 candidate Bernie Sanders.
As the placement proved critical, CNN is planning to hype its upcoming Democratic presidential debate with a live televised lottery to determine which candidates will appear onstage together.
CNN, which milked raucous 2016 debates for a big ratings boost, announced it will televise live the selection process that determines which candidates appear on stage July 30 and which are on July 31.
The drawing for the upcoming Detroit debates will be held July 18 at 8 pm.
In Monday’s CNN interview, the Bidens also praised their youngest son Hunter for opening up in a recent interview with The New Yorker about his struggle with addiction.
He has been in and out of rehab several times and was discharged from the Navy Reserve after testing positive for cocaine in 2014.
‘We’ve seen the struggle, and we know that most American families are dealing with some sort of struggle like we are,’ Jill Biden said.
‘And I think they can relate to us, you know, as parents who are hopeful and are supportive of our son, and we will continue to be supportive. And I think that makes us more empathetic about helping other Americans,’ she added.
The former vice president added: ‘Hunter’s been through some tough times, but he’s fighting. He’s fighting. He’s never given up. He’s the most honorable, decent person I know.’
‘He will beat this. This kid, I’m telling you — you know, knew Beau. Beau’s my soul. Hunter’s my heart,’ Joe Biden said, also referring to his older son, who died after a battle with brain cancer in 2015.
The Bidens on Monday lauded their son Hunter for opening up about his struggle with addiction. He is pictured with his father in 2016
Hunter Biden opened up in a recent interview with The New Yorker about his struggle with addiction. He has been in and out of rehab several times. He is pictured in 2016
‘We’ve seen the struggle, and we know that most American families are dealing with some sort of struggle like we are,’ Jill Biden said about her son’s addiction struggles in the CNN interview