According to radio host Charlamagne tha God, “nobody is inspired” or excited about the candidates in the 2024 presidential election.
The popular radio host, podcaster and bestselling author sat down for an interview on Sunday’s edition of ABC’s This Week, and shared his thoughts on the upcoming election.
Charlamagne, born Lenard McKelvey, co-hosts “The Breakfast Club” — a nationally syndicated program, which parent company iHeartRadio previously said reaches over 4 million listeners each week.
The show is a frequent stop for political candidates and previously welcomed Democrats Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley.
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Charlamagne endorsed the Democratic ticket in 2020, but told This Week co-anchor Jonathan Karl he mostly backed Biden because then-senator Kamala Harris was his running mate.
The media personality said Sunday, he now thinks President Biden “has no main character energy at all.”
“He’s just an uninspiring candidate. There’s nothing about Joe Biden that makes you want to listen to him. That’s why he should be leaning on his vice president, Kamala Harris, who is way more charismatic than him. He should be leaning on other surrogates like [California governor] Gavin Newsom,” Charlamagne said. “He should just be, I guess if you want to call it ‘the brains’ of the operation, behind the scenes.”
Biden, 81, will likely face former President Donald Trump, 77, in November.
Charlamagne insisted he wasn’t criticizing Biden’s age.
“I don’t think it has anything to do with age … I think it has just everything to do with him. Like Donald Trump is, what, four years, three years younger than President Biden? But he just comes off a lot more youthful. He comes off … like he has a lot more energy,” he said.
That was the only positive thing he had to say about Trump.
“This is the first time in my life when people say things like, you know, ‘this person is a threat to democracy.’ It’s absolutely true,” Charlamagne said. “And it’s mind-boggling to me that nobody is taking it as serious as I feel like they should.”
He described Republican politicians as corrupt.
“Yeah, the crooks are the Republicans, the cowards are the Democrats because they don’t fight hard enough on anything and the couch is voter apathy,” Charlamagne said. “And right now, right now it feels like the couch is going to win.”
Charlamagne noted that when he’s walking around New York City, where his show is based, or talking to listeners, “Nobody wants to see the rematch between Biden and Trump. That’s what makes me feel like the couch is going to win.”
Jonathan Karl said this was Charlamagne’s first-ever appearance on a Sunday morning political show.
Related Story: Joe Biden Walks Back ‘You Ain’t Black’ Comment to Charlamagne tha God
Charlamagne and Biden have a bit of a history. The then-presidential candidate appeared on “The Breakfast Club” in May 2020, and the two got into a lively back-and-forth.
The radio host brought up Biden’s voting record as a U.S. senator and pressed him on criminal justice reform. He also urged Biden to choose a Black running mate.
Charlamagne told Biden Black voters “saved your political life in the primaries.” A Biden staffer cut in and said it was time to end the interview.
Biden promised to return to the show at a later date. Just before the interview ended, he jokingly shot back at Charlamagne: “I tell you, if you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t Black.”
After facing criticism (and praise in some circles), Biden walked his “you ain’t Black” comment back saying, “I shouldn’t have been so cavalier.”
Watch the video below of Charlamagne tha God on This Week.
