Biden, Harris claim Trump return means reversal of 'Black Progress'

At the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's annual Phoenix Awards on Saturday, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have claimed that a potential return of Donald Trump to the White House would reverse key advancements made by Black Americans.

Addressing Black lawmakers and leaders, both Biden and Harris emphasised the importance of the upcoming election, highlighting the stakes for racial progress in the US.

Vice President Harris, running to succeed Biden in the 2024 presidential election, criticized Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, for promoting a divisive agenda.

Harris argued that Trump’s policies threaten to erode freedoms, opportunities, and justice for marginalized communities. “Donald Trump and his extremist allies want to move our nation backward,” she said, underscoring the necessity for Black voters to mobilise.

Biden, who received a lifetime achievement award from the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, reinforced Harris’s message.

He pointed to recent comments by Vance spreading false claims about Haitian immigrants in Ohio, calling such rhetoric dangerous and wrong.

Biden also referenced Trump’s role in the January 6 Capitol riots and his response to the George Floyd protests as examples of Trump’s history of stoking racial divisions.

In their remarks, both Biden and Harris highlighted the achievements of the administration, such as reducing Black child poverty, investing in historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), and efforts to close the racial wealth gap.

Biden reaffirmed his support for Harris, saying, “I will be proud to stand on the steps of the Capitol and watch her being sworn in as president of the United States of America.”

With Black voters being a crucial Democratic base, particularly Black women, the appearance of Biden and Harris marked a concerted effort to energize this constituency ahead of the November election.

Recently, Trump stoked controversy as he vowed to conduct large-scale deportations of Haitian immigrants from Springfield, Ohio over claims that Haitian arrivals were harming the local community.

Speaking at a press conference in Los Angeles, Trump made this pledge despite the majority of Haitians being in the US legally.

"We will do large deportations from Springfield," Trump declared, targeting the city's Haitian population, which numbers between 12,000 to 15,000.

Trump's camapign has also been critical of Harris for her Black multi-ethnic background.

Harris is not only the first Black vice president in office but if she wins, she is poised to make history again as the first Black female president.