South Carolina College Dem slams candidates who 'act like they're for' black voters, then 'seem not to care'

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A College Democrat in South Carolina expressed disappointment with the party's 2020 presidential candidates Thursday, accusing them of feigning interest in the black community and taking their vote for granted.

CNN anchor Brooke Baldwin asked Jahleel Johnson, a member of College Democrats of South Carolina, what most disappointed him about the current slate of candidates.

Jahleel Smith, member of the College Democrats of South Carolina, speaking to CNN on Feb. 27, 2020.

"A lot of these candidates like to show up in the black church -- act like they're for the culture, for us, but then they seem to just be absent," Johnson said. "They seem to not listen, they seem to not care."

Johnson added that all of the candidates needed to "stop taking the black vote for granted."

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"Stop showing up at our churches, trying to ask for our support. Actually do something to help us," he said.

Johnson told Baldwin that he "reluctantly" supported former Vice President Joe Biden because of his position in former President Barack Obama's administration.

"He was vice president under the first African American president. I do think that he has a much better insight in comparison to other candidates on racial issues. He saw firsthand the racism Obama experienced," he said.

Johnson added that his first choice was Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., who dropped out of the race in December. After Harris' exit, many noted that the Democratic field lacked the kind of diversity it had at the beginning of the 2020 race.

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"President Obama ... he set the bar so high on how a president should act and this whole presidential primary season, no one has lived up to my expectations," Johnson said. "The only person that has was Kamala Harris."

South Carolina Democrats will hold their presidential primary on Saturday and Biden is favored to record his first win. House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., who also sits on the Congressional Black Caucus, threw his weight behind Biden on Wednesday.