Biden claims he was veep during pandemic, Obama told him to 'go to Detroit' to help

UPDATE: The White House later edited the official transcript from Biden's speech to indicate that he did not mean what he said but instead meant to say that he was VP during "the recession" which occurred after Barack Obama took office.

During a speech at the NAACP Detroit Branch’s 69th annual Fight for Freedom Fund Dinner on Sunday night, Biden claimed he was vice president during the 2020 Covid pandemic. 

"And when I was vice president, things were kinda bad during the pandemic, and what happened was Barack said to me 'go to Detroit and help fix it,'" Biden told the crowd. "Well, thepoor mayor he’s spent more time with me than he ever thought he’s gonna have to." 

When the pandemic kicked off in March of 2020, Biden was a Democrat candidate for the presidency. He entered the office in January 2021. Biden's time as vice president to Barack Obama ended when Donald Trump took office in 2017. 

Biden's weekend stops in Detroit for the dinner and in Atlanta, Georgia for Morehouse College's commencement come as black voters have been fleeing Biden. 

Former Chief of the Detroit Police Department James Craig said on Sunday that Biden’s policies have been "devastating" for the black community. 

Craig said that "Bidenomics" have led to inflation and lower real wages, adding, "The Biden Administration’s inflation is hurting black households more than white households." 

"With Joe Biden’s border crisis, fentanyl has been pouring into our communities," Craig added. "black men are at a higher risk than any other demographic to die from a drug overdose, along with American Indian and Alaska Native men." 

A recent New York Times/Siena College poll revealed that black and Hispanic voters had started to shift toward former President t in five key swing states, including Craig's state of Michigan.