[PUBLISH.TWITTER]
Biden says Trump is America's first racist president: "We’ve had racists, and they’ve existed, they’ve tried to get elected president. He’s the first one that has.” pic.twitter.com/BbOG3GgXvq
— The Recount (@therecount) July 22, 2020
Biden campaign senior adviser Symone Sanders later issued a statement clarifying Biden's comments.
[MSN] "There have been a number of racist American presidents, but Trump stands out -- especially in modern history -- because he made running on racism and division his calling card and won," she said. "He deliberately foments both, intentionally causing indescribable pain because he thinks it advantages him politically. The George Wallaces of our country's history who have run on these hate-filled themes have lost."Setting aside Biden's assessment of Trump, his remark drew instant criticism, given the known histories of past presidents, a number of whom were slave owners. That history, in recent weeks, has driven controversial efforts to take down and deface statues and monuments dedicated to them.
In addition to the known record of presidential slave ownership, including by George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, early in the country’s history, other presidents from the last century also have come under fire. Princeton University decided just last month to remove President Woodrow Wilson’s name from its public policy school and a residential college, citing Wilson’s "racist views and policies" as the main factor in the decision.
Wilson, who served in the early 20th century, supported segregation and imposed it on several federal agencies. During his presidency, the notoriously racist film "The Birth of a Nation," which glorified the Ku Klux Klan, was screened at the White House.