Joe Biden explained on Twitter Thursday night what he "meant" by earlier comments suggesting that "the African American community is a monolith."
What they're saying: "Unlike the African-American community, with notable exceptions, the Latino community is an incredibly diverse community with incredibly different attitudes about different things," Biden remarked in an interview hosted by the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and the National Association for Black Journalists, Politico reports.
- "You go to Florida, and you find a very different attitude about immigration in certain places than you do when you’re in Arizona," the former vice president continued.
President Trump responded to the comments outside the White House on Thursday, saying that, "Joe Biden, this morning, totally disparaged and insulted the black community. What he said is incredible."
Biden, on Thursday evening, wrote on Twitter: "Earlier today, I made some comments about diversity in the African American and Latino communities that I want to clarify. In no way did I mean to suggest the African American community is a monolith—not by identity, not on issues, not at all."
- "Throughout my career I've witnessed the diversity of thought, background, and sentiment within the African American community. It's this diversity that makes our workplaces, communities, and country a better place."
- "My commitment to you is this: I will always listen, I will never stop fighting for the African American community and I will never stop fighting for a more equitable future."
The big picture: In May, Biden apologized for saying "you ain't black" if "you have a problem figuring out whether you're for me or [President] Trump" during an interview on the radio show "The Breakfast Club."