Joe Biden announced on Friday June 5 that he will face Republican President Donald Trump in the November presidential election in the United States as he has enough delegates to nominate him as the Democrats' candidate. "Tonight, we are assured of the 1,991 delegates necessary to win the Democratic nomination", tweeted former vice president. "I will devote every day to fighting to get your votes so that together we can win the battle for the soul of our country. "
Biden, 77, crossed the threshold of 1,991 delegates to secure his nomination by his party as counting continued on a series of Democratic primaries on Tuesday. He was already considered the presumed candidate after the rallying of the champion of the left, Bernie Sanders, in April.
"Leadership capable of bringing us together"
The country is currently experiencing massive protests following the May 25 death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man killed during an arrest by a white police officer. "This is a difficult time in the history of America. And Donald Trump's angry and sowing policy is not an answer ", he wrote on the Medium platform after the announcement of the crossing of the decisive threshold for the number of delegates. “The country demands loud and clear leadership. Leadership capable of bringing us together. Leadership that can bring us together. "
Mr. Biden's reaction to the protests contrasts with that of Mr. Trump, who threatened to deploy the military. Mr. Biden has multiplied the declarations, denouncing repeatedly the "Institutional racism" and promising to tackle it in his first hundred days of power if he defeated outgoing Republican President Trump on November 3.
During a meeting with black religious and political leaders organized last Sunday – his first participation in a public meeting since mid-March, when the coronavirus pandemic suddenly paralyzed the presidential campaign -, Mr. Biden had denounced the presidency by Donald Trump and the problems of racism and inequality plaguing the United States. "The bandage was torn off by this pandemic and this president", he said.
Several participants in the meeting urged him to choose a running mate who would become the first black vice president if he won in November. He repeated to them that "Several African American candidates" were on his list.
Popularity among Black Americans
Vice President Barack Obama for eight years, Joe Biden is very popular with black Americans, a key electorate for any Democrat hoping to win the American presidential election.
But he did not escape criticism of his past positions or comments that caused outrage. As when he told a radio host in May that he was not "Not black" if he was thinking of voting for Donald Trump. Joe Biden quickly apologized.
The Democratic nomination contest had got off to a bad start for Mr. Biden against Mr. Sanders, but he gained the advantage in late February thanks to a primary in South Carolina. An average of the national polls compiled by the RealClearPolitics site currently gives Mr. Biden a 7.1 point lead over Mr. Trump in the election.
