Biden: 15% of the nation is ‘just not very good people’

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said Thursday night that about “10 to 15 percent” of people are “just not very good people.”

“Do we really think this is as good as we can be as a nation?” Biden said. “I don’t think the vast majority of people think that. There are probably anywhere from 10 to 15 percent of the people out there that are just not very good people.”

Biden began his remarks with a mention of George Floyd, a 46-yearold black man who died on May 25 while in police custody. Biden said that as a white man, he cannot fully understand what it is like to be a black man facing danger in encounters with law enforcement. Biden, who served in the US Senate for 36 years and was vice president for eight, said the nation needs to address “systemic racism.”

Past nominees have stoked controversy with blanket descriptions of people.

In 2012, Republican Mitt Romney told donors at a private fundraiser that there were “47 percent” of voters determined to support President Barack Obama, “who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims.” After the remarks were made public, Romney faced widespread criticism.

In 2016, Democrat Hillary Clinton claimed that half of Donald Trump’s supporters fit into a “basket of deplorables.”

On Friday, the president drew criticism when he mentioned George Floyd during a press conference.

Trump addressed the injustice Floyd faced from the Minneapolis Police and said he believes change will happen following his death.

“Equal justice under the law must mean that every American receives equal treatment in every encounter with law enforcement regardless of race, color, gender, or creed,” Trump said. “They have to receive fair treatment from law enforcement. They have to receive it. We all saw what happened last week. We can’t let that happen.”

He continued, “Hopefully, George is looking down right now and saying, ‘This is a great day that’s happening for our country.’ It’s a great day for him. It’s a great day for everybody. This is a great day for everybody. This is a great day in terms of equality. It’s really what our Constitution requires and it’s what our country is all about.”

Biden called Trump’s remarks “despicable.”