Source: Politics<\/p>\n
NEW YORK \u2014 It\u2019s not so much that Charlamagne tha God has beef with the president.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s just that he thinks Joe Biden is a lousy messenger and that he lacks the basic political skills that \u2014 whatever one thinks about the guy \u2014 Donald Trump possesses.<\/p>\n
Sitting in the second row of his black Escalade as his driver crawls through Manhattan traffic on a late October morning, the co-host of the influential \u201cBreakfast Club\u201d radio show said Biden and others in his circle spend too much time posturing.<\/p>\n
Instead of thinking of better ways to play up policy achievements, he argues, Democrats rely too much on depicting former President Donald Trump as a crook.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s almost like Democrats are doing this purity test. America is not pure. The people of America are not pure. We\u2019re flawed,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m not looking for my politicians to be pure, \u2026 I\u2019m looking for my politicians to be effective.\u201d<\/p>\n
Biden has faced similarly tough recriminations from other political luminaries. But coming from Charlamagne, it hits different. The radio host, 45, has a loyal audience of 4 million monthly listeners. He is ascendant, having taken on roles guest hosting \u201cThe Daily Show,\u201d starting up his own podcasting empire with iHeartRadio and being inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame<\/a>. He\u2019s also reaching the very voters Biden is struggling to draw: young and Black.<\/p>\n And increasingly, Charlemagne\u2019s appraisal of the Biden administration has been sour. While he anguishes at the thought of a 2020 rematch, the radio personality gives Trump props for commanding attention and selling his ideas.<\/p>\n Trump relentlessly touted \u2014 or, in some cases, gave himself outsized credit for \u2014 policies he enacted as president. He signed the First Step Act into law, which brought modest reforms to the federal criminal justice system. He pardoned rappers Lil Wayne and Kodak Black. And he sent stimulus checks, or what a lot of folks commonly refer to as \u201cstimmies,\u201d during the first year of the pandemic.<\/p>\n \u201cImagine you felt like you\u2019ve never gotten anything from the government, ever. And you don\u2019t know how politics work, you just know you just got this check in the mail, with [Trump\u2019s] name on it,\u201d Charlamagne said. \u201cYou will feel like he did something.\u201d<\/p>\n Biden sent checks too<\/a>. But Charlamagne argues that he failed to play it up the way his predecessor did.<\/p>\n Charlamagne doesn\u2019t consider himself a Democrat or a Republican \u2014 a position he says allows him to call bullshit on empty campaign rhetoric politicians spew when they decide it\u2019s time to engage Black audiences to wrangle up votes.<\/p>\n \u201cIn 2024, it\u2019s a race between the cowards, the crooks and the couch,\u201d he said, referring to Biden, Trump and the option to stay home.<\/p>\n Charlamagne suspects the couch will win.<\/p>\n Born Lenard (pronounced leh-NARD) Larry McKelvey, Charlamagne\u2019s signature interview style keeps his subjects off balance. He pummels them with direct and \u2014 at times \u2014 piercing questions that can be uncomfortably personal. He\u2019s not afraid to call out an interviewee for not knowing something he feels should be common knowledge for someone speaking to a largely Black audience.<\/p>\n One example was exposing Education Secretary Miguel Cardona<\/a> a few years ago for not knowing about the weekslong student protests at the historically Black Howard University over living conditions on the campus.<\/p>\n It\u2019s effective. The show has produced countless viral moments over the years, with one of its earliest scores being a 2013 interview with rapper and fashion mogul Kanye West. Charlamagne opened the conversation by referring to him as \u201cKanye Kardashian,\u201d then in unrelenting fashion, proceeded to rip him over his \u201cYeezus\u201d album and relationship with the fashion industry. (A decade later, the rapper, who now goes by Ye, saw a slew of business partnerships severed after a series of offensive and antisemitic remarks.)<\/p>\n He drew widespread praise for the Kanye interview. But other segments even Charlamagne now cringes at. He admits some bits crossed a line, like when he inserted himself into the tiff between 50 Cent and Floyd Mayweather. At the time, the rapper called into question the boxer\u2019s ability to read. Charlamagne, against the urging of his co-hosts, played unedited recordings of Mayweather<\/a> struggling to record 10-second ad spots for the show.<\/p>\n Reflecting on that period, the media personality told POLITICO he was chasing ratings in those early days, but soon learned that lines are easy to cross. The Mayweather moment in particular triggered many in his audience who struggled with literacy. Other critics took issue with him seeming to perpetuate stereotypes about Black people. The pushback laid the groundwork for a course correction \u2014 with the show shifting away from shock jock material and more toward politics and accountability. In particular, Charlamagne grew obsessed with calling elected officials to task for policies that allowed disparities in communities of color to continue unabated.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s able to see through a lot of the brokenness that politics has created, but he is also able to understand a measure of redemptive value when people take it seriously and when people get it right,\u201d said Democrat Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, who is expected to be a top surrogate for Biden during his reelection.<\/p>\n Charlamagne\u2019s breakout moment as a political influencer came during the contentious and drawn-out 2016 Democratic primary campaign between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. Each sought to heavily court Black voters, and both candidates made multiple appearances on the show throughout the campaign season. This provided the perfect opportunity to lean into politics with more regularity.<\/p>\n Clinton\u2019s stop in April that year created a viral moment with the former secretary of state alluding that she, just like Beyonc\u00e9, always has hot sauce in her bag<\/a> (a riff off Queen Bey\u2019s lyrics from the song \u201cFormation\u201d).<\/p>\n A politician willing to talk with a majority Black audience \u2014 especially if they can pull off attempts at code switching without seeming to pander \u2014 can produce shareable internet moments that can amplify a campaign.<\/p>\n To be clear, Clinton\u2019s comments were not that. While she ultimately would overwhelmingly secure the Black vote in the primary and general election \u2014 and though her campaign protested at the time, noting that she really did like hot sauce \u2014 the moment was seen by many as textbook political inauthenticity.<\/p>\n But like many moments with Charlemagne at the center, it became embedded in the cultural fabric of today\u2019s politics. <\/p>\n Four years later, it was Biden\u2019s turn to face Charlamagne.<\/p>\n In May 2020, during the height of the pandemic \u2014 when it was clear the former VP was well on his way to locking up the nomination \u2014 he sat down for an interview over Zoom.<\/p>\n Charlamagne peppered Biden with questions about how he was going to energize voters without leaving his home. The host reminded the future president that many Black folks, himself included, felt the Democratic Party takes their votes for granted.<\/p>\n Near the end of the conversation, Biden explained he had to jump off because his wife, Jill Biden, was scheduled to do a media hit from the same room.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t do that to Black media,\u201d Charlmagne declared, as he pleaded with Biden for more time. \u201cBecause it\u2019s a long way until November, we\u2019ve got more questions.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve got more questions, but I tell you \u2026 if you\u2019ve got a problem whether or not you\u2019re for me or Trump, then you ain\u2019t Black,\u201d Biden said tersely.<\/p>\n A firestorm ensued. Biden apologized not long after<\/a>. The Trump campaign swiftly capitalized and began hawking $30 #YouAintBlack T-shirts<\/a>. Biden, despite winning the presidency with more than 90 percent of the Black vote, has in many ways, yet to live this gaffe down.<\/p>\n Neither has Charlamagne.<\/p>\n In August, it came up again when he interviewed former GOP longshot presidential candidate Larry Elder. Charlamagne asked Elder if he had ever had a \u201cnigga wake up call,\u201d which Charlamagne explained is when someone gets reminded that they are a person of color \u201crather brutally by an unexpected act of racism.\u201d<\/p>\n Elder, a talk radio show host himself, turned the tables on him.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen Joe Biden insulted you by saying \u2018you ain\u2019t really Black\u2019 …. it seems to me that should have been a wake up call on your part,\u201d Elder clapped back.<\/p>\n Charlamagne does not see it that way, and accuses Elder of focusing on trying to manufacture a \u201cgotcha moment\u201d for his then-struggling campaign. <\/p>\n What is clear is that the Biden exchange \u2014 which Charlamagne calls \u201chistoric\u201d \u2014 remains very much central to his identity, a marker through which he (and his relationship with Biden) is now judged. <\/p>\n Charlamagne said he empathizes with the octogenarian president \u2014 though he repeatedly questions the president\u2019s mental acuity on air. He suspects that moment in 2020 was \u201ca terrible granddad joke\u201d and actually agrees with the broader sentiment Biden was trying to make to Black voters at that time.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s right. Because all he\u2019s simply saying is if you vote for Trump over me then you\u2019re voting against your own interests,\u201d Charlamagne said.<\/p>\n Reluctantly, Charlemagne did something he said he rarely does \u2014 he endorsed Biden\u2019s 2020 presidential bid. Not because he was enamored by the promise of what Biden was selling, but because he selected Kamala Harris as his vice president. While she was a candidate for the Democratic nomination, she and the radio personality, eager to leave behind his shock jock persona, had forged a mutual friendship.<\/p>\n That too seems a bit distant now.<\/p>\n After more than three years of Biden in office, Charlamagne openly questions his endorsement and why Biden can\u2019t take advantage of simple messaging opportunities, like in October when the president announced the designation of 31 tech hubs across the nation<\/a> intended to spur innovation. The radio personality fumed on his program that the announcement didn\u2019t include basic information about how it could help average Americans or provide clues to what types of jobs folks should be preparing to apply for or how those jobs would be protected from advancements in artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not the highest grade of weed in the dispensary,\u201d he quipped to me. \u201cI\u2019m genuinely asking questions, because I want answers and that is just common sense to me. Yeah, it\u2019s good that you\u2019re making all these investments in tech and everything else. But what does this mean, for regular everyday people?\u201d (Fun fact, one of Charlamagne\u2019s next business ventures is opening up a Hashstoria marijuana dispensary<\/a> in Newark in early 2024 with partners Raekwon of the Wu-Tang Clan and Bakari Sellers, now a TV pundit.)<\/p>\n The administration has periodically back channeled with him, though it\u2019s often to express annoyance with how he is framing an issue. For his part, Charlamagne said the conversations with White House officials are respectful and that he\u2019s never asked him to tone down his rhetoric.<\/p>\n White House officials declined to comment.<\/p>\n Within Democratic circles, including inside the administration, there is a general recognition that the president needs to do more to reach Black voters. <\/p>\n Biden officials convened a meeting at the White House with influential Black Democrats<\/a> in mid-December to discuss how the administration can better engage Black men ahead of the 2024 elections. And the president has highlighted the administration\u2019s successes helping Black-owned businesses at a recent stop in Milwaukee<\/a> before Christmas. <\/p>\n Administration officials downplay the idea that Charlamagne is needed to reach this group. But even if they did, his relationship with this White House and in particular Harris, has soured enough that it\u2019s unclear if they could rely on him.<\/p>\n The last time he interviewed her, in December 2021, he pointedly asked on his now-canceled Comedy Central program \u201cTha God\u2019s Honest Truth\u201d about negotiations over what ultimately became the Inflation Reduction Act: \u201cWho is the real president of this country, is it Joe Manchin or Joe Biden, madam vice president?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cC\u2019mon Charlamagne,\u201d she said, clearly peeved at the tone of the question. \u201cIt\u2019s Joe Biden. And don\u2019t start talking like a Republican about asking whether or not he\u2019s president.\u201d<\/p>\n This moment, like the one with Biden, came after the interview was supposed to have wrapped. Former press aide Symone Sanders tried to cut it off, only for Harris to take on additional questions.<\/p>\n More than two years later, Charlamagne says he feels some vindication, pointing to speculation Manchin may launch a third party White House bid<\/a>. But it also marked a remarkable shift in his relationship with Harris that was once much more congenial.<\/p>\n Charlamagne stumped with then-presidential candidate Harris in 2019 in Goose Creek, South Carolina. It was there that she unveiled her plan to tackle the nation\u2019s mental health<\/a> crisis, something of a personal topic to Charlamagne, who has used his platform to speak about his own mental health struggles and tried to destigmatize the issue for Black men. <\/p>\n Since then, he said, Harris and the rest of the Biden administration have not adequately elevated mental health awareness as an issue or done enough promoting criminal justice reforms, particularly on marijuana offenses.<\/p>\n The White House announced a proposed rule in July<\/a> that closed a loophole that previously allowed health care providers to deny care for mental health disorders and substance abuse. Biden also announced last October that he was pardoning all federal offenses<\/a> for simple weed possession.<\/p>\n But that wasn\u2019t enough for Charlamagne, who also said has no plans to throw his support behind Biden\u2019s reelection. He said he feels burned by backing Harris.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve learned my lesson from doing that,\u201d he said. \u201cOnce they got in the White House, she \u2026 kind of disappeared.\u201d<\/p>\n He suspects neither Biden nor Harris will make a return to \u201cThe Breakfast Club\u201d this cycle.<\/p>\n Charlamagne knows his word holds weight with his audience. \u201cWhen I give people my word like: \u2018Yo man, I think we should be supporting Kamala Harris for vice president \u2026 because she\u2019s going to hold it down.\u2019 When we say those things and people don\u2019t see her holding it down, that causes issues,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n He says he still gets blowback from it. \u201c\u2018Damn, you told us to vote for [them].\u2019 Do you know how many people say that to me all the time?\u201d<\/p>\n There\u2019s a difference, of course, between not endorsing someone and actively criticizing. And for the Biden White House, Charlamagne has become something of an irritant, whether it\u2019s raising questions about the president\u2019s political acumen or helping elevate longshot presidential hopefuls Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Marianne Williamson and Cornel West \u2014 but not, notably, Biden or Harris.<\/p>\n His personal favorite seems to be a fellow South Carolinian, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley.<\/p>\n When she appeared on \u201cThe Daily Show\u201d with Charlamagne in December he asked: \u201cWhy doesn\u2019t the GOP just move away from Trump and get behind you?\u201d<\/p>\nRising political influence<\/h4>\n
No second endorsement<\/h4>\n
Biden\u2019s perpetual critic<\/h4>\n