President Joe Biden told White House attendees at an event celebrating Black History Month that “I may be a white kid, but I’m not stupid” in an attempt at self-deprecating humor.
The US president made the controversial comment after joking that House Minority Leader New York Democrat Hakeem Jeffries, who is black, no longer speaks to him.
“I may be a white kid, but I’m not stupid. I know where the power is… you think I’m kidding. I learned a long time ago about the Divine Nine,” Biden said, referring to a group of African-American fraternities and sororities, as the audience laughed.
Jeffries “is here despite the fact that when he first ran, I campaigned for him,” the executive added before greeting the chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, Steven Horsford, D-Nevada.
“I also campaigned for him. You know what this means, they don’t talk to me anymore,” Biden said. “I’m just kidding.”