President Biden sought to reassure Black voters of his commitment to their concerns, stating in an interview with BET News that they “know where my heart is.”
The interview comes as Biden faces questions about his support within the Black community.
Responding to BET’s Ed Gordon, who mentioned a lack of enthusiasm for his candidacy among Black voters, Biden said: “If I had some medical condition that emerged, if the doctors came to me and said, ‘you’ve got this problem, that problem,’ I’d consider stepping aside. But I made a serious mistake in the whole debate. When I originally ran, I said I was going to be a transitional candidate. I thought I’d be able to move on and pass it on to someone else. But I didn’t anticipate things getting so divided. Quite frankly, age brings a bit of wisdom. I think I’ve shown that I know how to get things done for the country, despite being told we couldn’t achieve it. But there’s more to do, and I’m reluctant to walk away from that.”
Biden, who is under pressure from some Democrats to end his re-election campaign, tested positive for COVID-19 while in Las Vegas on Wednesday. He is self-isolating after experiencing mild symptoms, the White House said.
When asked if anything could make him reconsider running, Biden told BET that only a “medical condition” would prompt him to step aside.
