Former President Donald Trump's Housing and Urban Development Secretary Dr. Ben Carson told Newsmax Wednesday that the fixation on racism and identity politics is a "disease on the liberal side" that goes against Martin Luther King Jr.'s vision of people being judged only by their character.
"It seems to be a disease on the liberal side of the aisle," Carson said during "Eric Bolling The Balance" Wednesday. "They constantly refer to race and other external identifying factors that have nothing to do with who a person is, and they moved further and further away from what Dr. King envisioned as a society where people were judged by the content of their character and not the color of their skin."
Carson said it is obvious why they make race such an important issue as a way to "curry favor" with the Black community to get the votes they need.
"The encouraging thing is I see it a lot more — people in the Black community, who are waking up and recognize that they've been used and utilized for a very long period of time," he said. "[President] Joe Biden showed us exactly who he was when he said, 'If you have trouble deciding between me and Donald Trump, you ain't Black.' Well, who gives him the right to say who's Black and who's not Black."
Biden made the comment while running for president in May 2020 during an appearance on "The Breakfast Club" podcast with Charlamagne tha God. He later apologized.
"I know that the comments have come off like I was taking the African American vote for granted. But nothing could be further [from] the truth," Politico reported Biden saying at the time. "I've never ever done that, and I've earned it every time I've run. I was making the point that I have never taken the vote for granted. And, in fact, I know in order to win the presidency, I need the African American vote."
Biden's latest racial gaffe happened Monday during a Black History Month event at the white house.
"You know, I know — I know real power when I see it: the Divine Nine. We're honored to have presidents — all the presidents here tonight," he said during the event. "I want to thank you for the — and, by the way, you know I'm not — I may be a white boy, but I'm not stupid. I know where the power is. I know where the po- — you think I'm joking. I learned a long time ago about the Divine Nine. And that's why I spent so much time at Delaware State, campaigning and organizing my campaign in Delaware."
The "Divine Nine" is a reference to nine Black college fraternities and sororities that are affiliated with the National Pan-Hellenic Council, organizations that "evolved during a period when African Americans were being denied essential rights and privileges afforded others. Racial isolation on predominantly white campuses and social barriers of class on all campuses created a need for African Americans to align themselves with other individuals sharing common goals and ideals."
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