President Biden told Democratic donors in California late Wednesday that he had “worked with real racists” during his decades in the Senate, but that Republicans in the 118th Congress were “much worse.” he said.
“I’ve been a senator since ’72. I’ve worked with real racists. I’ve worked with Strom Thurmond,” Biden said. At an event in San Francisco, he mentioned the late racist senator from South Carolina.
“I’ve worked with all these guys who had terrible records in racing. But guess what? These guys? [serving Republicans] It’s worse. These people do not believe in the basic principles of democracy. ”
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) responded to Biden’s criticism hours later. on X: “Outrageous. The most unpopular president ever up for re-election is now hopeless and dead in the polls, pulling his candidacy card from the bottom.”
The Bay Area fundraiser was held at the home of billionaire oil magnate Gordon Getty and was attended by real estate mogul George Marcus and House Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).
Biden is preparing for his March 7 State of the Union address while negotiating with Congress to pass additional military aid legislation for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.
Prime Minister Johnson stalled those efforts in the House of Commons over the bill’s exemptions from border enforcement provisions, refusing to bring the $95 billion Senate-passed bill to a vote in the House.
Moderate Republicans and Democrats introduced a slimmed-down $66 billion bill that includes changes to foreign military aid and immigration policy before the House went into recess for President’s Day.
Biden too consider executive order According to Axios, this is in response to the record number of illegal immigrants crossing the southern border into the United States.
Opinion polls show that immigration and the economy are top concerns for voters ahead of the 2024 election, with Biden’s approval ratings at record lows compared to his rival in the last presidential election. He is likely to face off against former President Donald Trump.
The 81-year-old president went on to talk about delivering the eulogy at the funeral of the Democratic-turned-Republican senator, who served at the same time as Mr. Thurmond.
“I told you the truth. By the time Strom left, he did terrible things, but by the time he left, he had more African-Americans.[s] It belongs to his staff more than any other member of Congress. He voted to reauthorize the Voting Rights Act,” Biden said.
“I don’t make him any better than he was. But what I’m saying is, at least I get to work with some of these guys,” he added. “Republicans have shown time and time again that they are the party of chaos and division.”
Mr. Biden previously drew on his relationships with racists like Mr. Thurmond and former Mississippi Democratic Sen. James Eastland to contrast the “old days” in Congress with his current battles with Republicans. I’ve mentioned it before.
“We were always fighting like hell,” the president said in a May 2022 speech at an Ohio manufacturing plant. …But at least we’ll end up having lunch together. The world has changed. We have to get that back. ”
Thurmond voted against the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, but ultimately voted with Biden to renew the latter bill in 1991.
The president confused the law at a White House reception last August, saying:literallyHe persuaded Thurmond to vote in favor of the Civil Rights Act.
