Presumptive Democrat presidential nominee Joe Biden claimed Thursday night most Americans were good people who see improvement as a possibility for the nation, while lamenting “there are probably anywhere from 10 to 15 percent of the people out there that are just not very good people.”
The former vice president delivered his character analysis of some 50 million Americans during remarks in an online event carried by “The Shade Room” and moderated by actor Don Cheadle.
Biden spoke about race and plans for a Biden administration to push for racial equity in office. He accused President Donald Trump of dividing the country while pledging that, as president, he would unify and heal.
“The words a president says matter, so when a president stands up and divides people all the time, you’re going to get the worst of us to come out,” Biden said during the exchange.
“Do we really think this is as good as we can be as a nation? I don’t think the vast majority of people think that,” he continued. “There are probably anywhere from 10 to 15 percent of the people out there that are just not very good people, but that’s not who we are. The vast majority of the people are decent, and we have to appeal to that and we have to unite people — bring them together. Bring them together.”
His thoughts echoed those of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 dismissal of “half of Trump’s supporters” as bigoted “deplorables” which subsequently became one of the most remembered quotes of her failed campaign.
Biden’s claim to be a peacemaker came just 24 hours after said he “won’t traffic in fear and division” in the wake of protests over the death of George Floyd.
“I won’t fan the flames of hate,” he claimed, as Breitbart News reported.