Jemele Hill says Biden's 'you ain't black' remark about undecided voters was 'accurate'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Atlantic staff writer Jemele Hill faced backlash on Friday after saying Joe Biden's controversial "you ain't black" remark was "accurate."
The presumptive Democratic nominee raised eyebrows Friday morning during an interview with Charlamagne tha God on the radio show "The Breakfast Club" as he defended his record with the black community.
“I tell you if you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t black,” Biden said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}BET CO-FOUNDER BLASTS BIDEN OVER COMMENTS ON BLACK VOTERS: 'ARROGANT AND OUT-OF-TOUCH ATTITUDE'
Biden later walked back his comments, but hours before, Hill offered a defense of the former vice president.
"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," Hill wrote, an apparent reference to President Trump's praise for Henry Ford during his visit to the Ford plant on Thursday.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The former ESPN host doubled down in response to other Twitter users, saying: "I don’t have a problem with the statement because he was clearly referring to this from a policy and track record standpoint. If you’re black and you support anti-black policies and positions, then that makes you ...? You’re still technically black but you ain’t with us."
BIDEN'S HISTORY OF CONTROVERSIAL RACIAL COMMENTS
Others slammed The Atlantic staff writer for backing Biden's initial comments.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"The problem was, in fact, what he said," New York Times Magazine columnist Thomas Chatterton Williams said. "He's gaffe prone and Trump said something worse, fine -- that's to be expected. What's more disturbing is this acceptance of the idea that an ethnic identity *must be wed* to a specific politics [sic]. What other ethnic group is policed like this?"
BIDEN ACCUSED OF MAKING RACIST COMMENT WITH 'YOU AIN'T BLACK' RETORT
"Which is it? A 'joke' we're not supposed to take seriously or an 'accurate' truth?" former Sanders national press secretary Briahna Joy Gray tweeted. "It not [sic] surprising that a known racist does racist things. It is noteworthy (and newsworthy) when the chosen representative of a multiracial, inclusive party dabbles in racial essentialism."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I don't get the joke," Human Events managing editor Ian Miles Cheong tweeted.
Others sided with Hill.
"Every single sentence is correct," The Black List founder Franklin Leonard wrote.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"People are looking for a reason to be mad for 4 more years. So now that narrative will be 'Did you hear what Biden said? See he’s racist. Can’t vote for him, so I won’t vote. I don’t care who’s.......' BLAH BLAH STUPID FRICKIN BLAH!...I will not be drinking that kool-aid," actor Robert C. Riley wrote.
"They don’t CARE! They just wanna whine on Twitter.com," Crooked Media host Akhila Hughes said.
Later Friday, Biden walked back his remarks during a conversation with black business leaders, stopping short of a full apology.
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"I've never ever taken the African-American community for granted, had their support ... I shouldn't have been such a wise guy. I shouldn't have been so cavalier," Biden said. "I don't take it for granted at all, and no one, no one should have to vote for any party, based on their race or religion or background."
Fox News' Paul Steinhauser, Madeleine Rivera and Allie Raffa contributed to this report.