by
President Biden with Dr. Wendell Anthony
President Joe Biden, speaking at the NAACP 68th Annual Fight For Freedom Fund Dinner in Detroit on Sunday night, took a series of shots at Republican opponent Donald Trump while highlighting his own accomplishments including policies he says have helped Black Americans.
"Folks, Trump isn't running to lead America, he's running for revenge," Biden told the crowd at the Huntington Place in downtown Detroit, several hours after delivering a commencement speech in Atlanta at Moorehouse College.
Biden said under his administration more Black Americans have health insurance than ever before and the unemployment rate among Blacks is at historic lows. He added that his adminitration has invested a record $16 billion into Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), and that the racial wealth gap is the lowest in 20 years.
Biden boasted about how he's put a $35 a month cap on insulin for patients and limited seniors' prescription costs to $2,000 a year.
Biden is pushing hard to secure the Black vote which is essential for victory, particularly in crucial states like Michigan, Georgia, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. Some polls show his support in the Black community around the country softening. Democrats in Michigan and elsewhere are concerned about Black voters staying home on election day due to a lack of enthusiasm about Biden.
He told the people in attendance that he needs their vote.
"Let's be clear, because of your vote, it's the only reason I'm standing here as president of the United States of America. Again that's not a joke that's a fact...You're the reason Donald Trump is the defeated former president and you're the reason Donald Trump's gonna be a loser again."
The president took a shot at Trump's ultra conservative appointments on the Supreme Court and vowed to make Roe v Wade the law of the land again. He also said he will sign the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and work to ban assault weapons.
He said he's kept his commitment to diversity in his administration and even appointed the first Black woman to the Supreme Court.
"By the way, I've appointed more Black women to the Federal Circuit Courts...than every other president in American history combine."
He said Trump misled the nation by underplaying the danger of Covid.
"We'll never forget him lying about how serious the pandemic was, telling Americans just inject bleach. I think that's what he did, that's why he's so screwy."
Biden thanked Dr. Wendell Anthony, president of the Detroit Branch NAACP, who introduced him. He also acknowledged others at the dinner including Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, who was on stage.
"I think Mike is one of the best mayors in the entire United States of America," he said.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who is the co-chair of the Biden campaign, also spoke earlier in the night.
Democrats in Michigan not only worry about losing some of the Black vote, but have concerns about third party candidates including Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Biden won by more than 150,000 votes in Michigan in 2020. In 2016, Hillary Clinton lost Michigan by 10,704 votes. Political pundits predict the victor in Michigan may win by a razor-thin margin like in 2016.
In the 2016 election, Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson got 172,136 votes and Green Party candidate Jill Stein got 51,463 votes. U.S. Taxpayer candidate Darell Castle got 16,139.
