Joe Biden says his 1994 crime bill that decimated the Black community was “a mistake.”
Biden made the remark during his town hall event with ABC News on Thursday night.
When asked by ABC News‘ George Stephanopoulos if the bill was a mistake, Biden replied, “Yes, it was. But here’s where the mistake came. The mistake came in terms of what the states did locally.”
Biden said the bill was created in response to a spike in crime in the inner cities in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
A member of Biden’s campaign later took to Twitter to clarify that Biden was referring to the 1986 crime bill, not the controversial 1994 crime bill.
Biden wrote both bills.
VP Biden was talking about the '86 crime bill – that's the one that included mandatory minimums for drug offenses (in fact, the 1994 crime bill did not), which was what VP and George were discussing. https://t.co/Me7UOcQ1wR
— Stef Feldman (@StefFeldman) October 16, 2020
The 1986 bill, which Biden also authored, toughened the sentences for possession of rock cocaine, aka “crack”, while lessening sentences for people who used powder cocaine.
As Fox News pointed out on Friday, the 1994 crime bill incentivized states to “fill up prisons” in exchange for federal cash in state coffers.
Biden, 77, claims he was tougher on crack users because he was told crack cocaine was worse than powder cocaine.
“We were told by the experts that ‘[with] crack, you can never go back.’ It was somehow fundamentally different. It’s not different. It’s trapped an entire generation.”
A young Black male who participated in the town hall told the presidential candidate that Black males will be sitting at home on Election Day.
A recent poll shows President Trump’s support among Black males increased to 45% from just 8% in 2016.
Biden's 47-years in the DC swamp summed up ??
"I know he did the 1994 Crime Bill. I wasn't born but I'll tell you this, he was in the White House with Obama, and they didn’t do much. That's what I know from Joe Biden: they didn’t do much."#BlackVoicesForTrump #Woke pic.twitter.com/a2VAFhgIty
— Black Voices for Trump (@BlackVoices4DJT) October 15, 2020
The 1986 and The 1994 crime bill (yes there is 2 crime bills) built the framework of systemic racism. This began the decimation of blacks in inner cities. Mass incarceration of blacks, for drug offenses.
And who authored and wrote those two bills you might ask? @JoeBiden
— Autumnnnn (@autzy1) October 16, 2020
Hillary Clinton apologized for crime bill, Bill Clinton campaigning for Hillary, apologized for crime bill; Last night’s Town Hall, Joe Biden admits crime bill was an mistake.
To appease political racists: Destroy blacks folks with laws, then say sorry to get their votes later. https://t.co/N5DtkgpX5s
— Larry Johnson (@2LarryJohnson7) October 16, 2020
Joe Biden:
Was mentored by KKK leader Robert Byrd.
Led the 1994 Crime Bill that jailed THOUSANDS of Black men.
Said Blacks who don’t vote for him “ain’t Black.”
THIS is the left’s great hope for Black Americans? ?
— Rob Smith ?? (@robsmithonline) October 13, 2020