Joe Biden says 'poor kids' are 'just as talented as white kids'
Speaking in Iowa on Thursday night, former Vice President Joe Biden said "poor kids" are "just as talented as white kids," before correcting himself.
Biden was addressing the Iowa Asian and Latino Coalition, which has been meeting with Democratic presidential candidates as it prepares to make an endorsement next week.
Speaking about his education plan, which would triple federal investment in lower-income school districts, Biden said the country should challenge students and increase the number of advanced placement programs in those schools.
"We have this notion that somehow if you’re poor you cannot do it. Poor kids are just as bright and just as talented as white kids," Biden said, before adding: "Wealthy kids. Black kids. Asian kids. No, I really mean it. But think how we think about it."
"They can do anything anybody else can do, given a shot," Biden added.
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Biden spoke to the group for more than 90 minutes, answering questions about gun violence, climate change, unions, immigration and the criminal justice system.
Earlier in the day, Biden visited the Iowa State Fair, where he spoke at the Des Moines Register Political Soapbox and told reporters he believes he can get gun control legislation passed as president.
In a statement given to NBC News, Kate Bedingfield, Biden's communications director, criticized the campaign of President Donald Trump, which posted the video, saying they were trying to change the subject from the president's own comments.
"Vice President Biden misspoke and immediately corrected himself during a refrain he often uses to make the point that all children deserve a fair shot, and children born into lower-income circumstances are just as smart as those born to wealthy parents," Bedingfield said in the statement.
Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Des Moines Register. He can be reached by email at sgrubermil@registermedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @sgrubermiller.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Joe Biden in Iowa: 'Poor kids' are 'just as talented as white kids'
