Joe Biden spent time chatting and taking photos with supporters in his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware this week, as seen in since-expired videos, initially posted to his Instagram Stories. The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee wore a protective mask amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as he made an unannounced visit to a protest site. Biden took photos with three black males, one of which can be heard saying, “He’s got my vote,” in the clip.
Joe Biden doing what he does best and talking to Americans at the site of the Wilmington Delaware March. #BLM #BidenHarris2020 pic.twitter.com/xnWcn2RYFn
— Teen for Joemala ⚖️💛🍔 (@KhiveBidenBro) May 31, 2020
It’s unclear what Biden and group, who also wore masks, discussed. Although, laughs and kind gestures could be seen and heard in the video. At one point, Biden said, “That’s why I was elected in 1972,” in reference to his win in the United States Senate election in Delaware — a title he held from 1973–2009.
The former vice president left his Delaware home, where he’s admittedly been quarantining in the basement, on Sunday, May 31 to meet with community leaders at Bethel AME church to address protests following the death of George Floyd, 46. Floyd, an unarmed Black man, died after being restrained by former disgraced police officer Derek Chauvin during an arrest in Minneapolis on May 25. Chauvin was officially charged in the death of Floyd on May 29.
During his time at the church, Biden took a knee (seen below) in a photo with political and faith leaders. He said on Monday, June 1, that he will form a police accountability board in his first 100 days if elected president.
Joe Biden said Monday he will set up a police accountability board in his first 100 days if elected president. He later took a knee in a photo with political and faith leaders in Wilmington, Delaware. https://t.co/AQmnHLEKHK pic.twitter.com/bBT25HfZ9C
— CBS News (@CBSNews) June 1, 2020
Biden stepped out in his hometown following backlash from a recent interview, in which he said, “If you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or [Donald] Trump, then you ain’t black.” He voiced the latter at the end of an interview with Charlamagne tha God on The Breakfast Club, May 22. That same day, Biden apologized for his controversial comment in a campaign call with Black business leaders.
“I know that the comments have come off like I was taking the African American vote for granted. But nothing could be further [from] the truth,” Biden said, via Politico. “I’ve never ever done that, and I’ve earned it every time I’ve run. I was making the point that I have never taken the vote for granted. And in fact, I know in order to win the presidency, I need the African American vote,” he continued. “And it was the driving force, as I said, in the beginning of my campaign [a] year ago, to my being able to win in the first place and win the primary. And it is going to be critical to my winning the presidency.”