A video of President Joe Biden seemingly ignoring a young Black woman during a public event in Madison, Wisconsin, has gone viral, stirring controversy and political attacks from Republicans. The footage has emerged at a critical moment, following Biden’s widely criticized debate performance against former President Donald Trump.
The video shows the young woman holding a Biden-Harris sign, eagerly greeting the President as he approached. However, Biden bypassed her and instead hugged an older woman next in line. This moment of visible disappointment for the young woman has been shared extensively on social media, provoking a wave of reactions.
This black girl thought Biden was going to give her a hug but he just skipped past her and moved on to the white woman.
The moment when she realized her “hero” doesn’t like people of her color. pic.twitter.com/0cv3dYjfWT
— Dominic Lee 李梓敬 (@dominictsz) July 7, 2024
Republican commentators and politicians have quickly seized on the incident, using it to question Biden’s commitment to racial equality. “The moment when she realized her ‘hero’ doesn’t like people of her color,” one social media user commented while another suggested, “Trump should run this as a campaign ad,” highlighting the potential political fallout.
The viral nature of the video has raised concerns about its impact on Biden’s campaign, particularly regarding his support among Black voters. Polls indicate that Biden is facing challenges in maintaining the robust backing he enjoyed in the 2020 election. A recent New York Times/Siena poll from November showed a significant drop in support, with 71 percent of Black voters in six key states backing Biden, down from 91 percent in 2020. Conversely, 22 percent expressed support for Trump, despite his controversial history with racial issues.
Former President Trump has been actively courting Black voters, recently addressing a crowd at Detroit’s 180 Church. He criticized Biden’s involvement in the 1994 crime bill, which has been associated with the mass incarceration of Black Americans. At the event, Trump positioned himself as a proponent of Black communities, claiming to be the best president for Black Americans since Abraham Lincoln, despite his past remarks and policies that have been viewed as racially insensitive.
