President Donald Trump hit back at Joe Biden's claim America elected the first racist president, ripping Biden for failing to achieve what the Trump administration has for African Americans.
"I have done more for Black Americans than anybody, with the possible exception of Abraham Lincoln," Trump told reporters at the end of the coronavirus task force briefing Wednesday. "Nobody has even been close."
Biden's remarks came during a virutal town hall, as reported by The Washington Post.
"The way he deals with people based on the color of their skin, their national origin, where they're from, is absolutely sickening," Biden said, starting the racism war of words between candidates.
"No sitting president has ever done this. Never, never, never. No Republican president has done this. No Democratic president. We've had racists, and they've existed, they've tried to get elected president. He's the first one that has."
Trump was asked about the comments and he rejected Biden's claim as empty because of what he and former President Barack Obama failed to achieve for Black voters, despite overwhelming support from them.
"You look at employment," Trump said. You look at Opportunity Zones, and maybe most importantly, you look at criminal justice reform. You look at prison reform. I have done things that nobody else.
"I've said this, and I say it openly and not a lot of people dispute it."
Just a few hours earlier, Trump expanded "Operation Legend," a federal police supplement initiative aimed to protect crime-hit and murder-hit African American communities in Chicago, Kansas City, and Albuquerque.
"Every American, no matter their income, race, or zip code, should be able to walk the city streets free from violence and free from fear," Trump said in his speech. "For this reason today, I am announcing the Department of Justice will immediately surge federal law enforcement to the city of Chicago.
"The FBI, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals service, and Homeland Security will together be sending hundreds of skilled law enforcement officers to Chicago to help drive down violent crime."
Back to his coronavirus task force briefing, Trump said he is doing what Obama-Biden failed to do in Chicago years ago.
"Chicago is a disaster," Trump told a CNN reporter, pointing to Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot. "The mayor is saying don't come in. The mayor is telling us not to come in. At some point, we can void that if we have to, and we may have to, because it's out of control. I assumed she is saying that for political reasons. I think it's negative political reasons. She is a Democrat. I'm going to be nice. She's a Democrat. She's making a big mistake. People are dying in Chicago and other cities, and we can solve a problem. They have to ask us but we can solve the problem."
When the CNN reporter pressed on why Obama was to blame for Chicago's crime wave in 2016, Trump responded.
"President Obama was invited in, and he did a poor job; President Obama could've gone into Chicago and solve the problem and he didn't," Trump said. "In our case, they don't want us to go in. We can solve a problem very easily."