The former Vice President on Friday went off on black radio host Charlamagne Tha God for asking him few tough questions which he apparently didn't expect. Biden rarely gives interviews and only goes on shows friendly to liberal democrat politicians.
Towards the end of the nearly 18 minute interview, as Biden's handler was trying desperately to end the dumpsterfire, the provocative host said, "listen you gotta come see us when you come to New York, VP Biden." He added "it's a long way until November, we got more questions."
The presumptive democrat nominee for president sounding irritated and condescending, interrupted, "you got more questions; ... but If you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t black.”
Charlamagne shot back, "It don’t have nothing to do with Trump, it has to do with the fact — I want something for my community.”
The brief exchange went viral and drew swift condemnations from across the political spectrum.
In a statement released to left-wing group, Co-chair of socialist Bernie Sanders' campaign, Nina Turner said: "Pure unadulterated hubris, the taking for granted of the black vote, the insult to us as he tried to quote on quote answer that question in a black vernacular.
What other racial or ethnic group in this country has to deal with that kind of foolishness? Not one...where all of a sudden you change your speech pattern to answer the question too? Too many white politicians have a habit of thinking if they change their speech pattern they're really relating to the black community. So as I said all along, the black vote must be earned; it is not owned, it is earned. For any white person to think that they are the authority on what is and what is not black is the highest insult."
African American Republican Senator Tim Scott also ripped into the former Vice President. Speaking on Fox Business Network he said that the comments are the “most condescending and arrogant comments toward the black community he has ever heard.”
Hip Pop mogul Diddy(real name, Sean John Combs) tweeted, "Aye bruh @JoeBiden I already told you the #BlackVoteAintFree."
In a scathing statement to Fox news, Black Entertainment TV co-founder Robert Johnson said: “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.
“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.”
Charlamagne earlier in the interview told Biden that given that black voters helped him win the primary elections, they expect him to pick a black woman as running mate.
“I’m not acknowledging anybody who is being considered, but I guarantee you: There are multiple black women being considered. Multiple,” Biden responded.
The Trump campaign has been working aggressively to woo black voters who normally vote overwhelmingly for democrats.
Senator Scott said that Biden’s comments are not surprising considering his record in "sponsoring a crime bill in the 1990s that jailed more African-American males than any other legislation."
The senator added, "And President Trump comes along, and through his criminal justice reform, corrects the absolute mistakes made by Joe Biden; 1.3 million African-Americans voted for Trump. He’s saying to 1.3 million African-Americans that you are not black? Who in the heck does he think he is? That is the most arrogant, outrageous comment that I’ve heard in a very long time and I take offense to that.”
WATCH the viral exchange.