Former PresidentBarack Obamathis week demanded that a pro-Trump group’s racially charged anti-Joe Bidenad be pulled in South Carolina for using Obama’s words out of context.
But the ad makes it sound — incorrectly — like Obama is criticizing Biden.
Mitchell Layton/Getty Images
Obama’s narration was from a portion of his 1995 memoir when he was telling a story about a barber in Chicago who was speaking to him about politicians mistreating black voters.
The Committee to Defend the President reportedly spent more than $250,000 on negative ads against Biden in South Carolina ahead of Saturday’s crucial Democratic primary vote, according toThe Washington Post.
The group also similarly spent big on anti-Biden ads in Nevada ahead of that state’s caucus vote earlier this month, according to thePost.
The Committee to Defend the President did not respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
In 2017, President Obama’s attorneyssimilarly reached outto a different group supporting PresidentDonald Trumpwhen that group also took Obama’s words out of context to say Democratic politicians took black voters for granted.
The South Carolina primary on Saturday is all-important for Biden’s presidential campaign, as the former vice president has heavily campaigned in the state and has looked to South Carolina’s largely black electorate to reinvigorate his presidential campaign and give him a win.
Obama chose not to endorse a candidate in the 2020 race, though his team acknowledged his ties to Biden, who was his vice president for eight years.
“President Obama has several friends in this race, including, of course, his own esteemed Vice President,” his spokeswoman said. “He has said he has no plans to endorse in the primary because he believes that in order for Democrats to be successful this fall, voters must choose their nominee.”
source: people.com
