Biden to Lin-Manuel Miranda: Latinos are ‘essential,’ Trump ‘incapable’

Former Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday told entertainer Lin-Manuel Miranda that the coronavirus pandemic has shown that Hispanics are essential to the economy, adding that President Trump’s greatest weakness is his inability to perform his duties.

Speaking to Miranda at a virtual forum organized by Latino Victory, a progressive Hispanic political group, Biden took the opportunity to rail against what he called Trump’s “total incompetence.”

“He may be mean-spirited, but that’s not his worst problem. He’s incapable,” said Biden.

“Every generation has moved that needle closer — never gotten there — to a more perfect union, to be more inclusive,” said Biden. “Except this president. He’s trying to turn it back.”

Miranda, the star and writer of the hit Broadway musical “Hamilton,” asked Biden to talk about inclusion in a historical context.

“Our founders referred to making ‘a more perfect union.’ I interpret that as understanding that it was not perfect when it was founded and we would always be striving to make it better,” said Miranda.

“Human nature is one of the things I think our founders understood better than most founders in other countries,” replied Biden, remarking on the “immediacy of the history” in “Hamilton.”

Biden said the Founding Fathers were driven to action by “a leadership who isn’t concerned about doing the work.”

Biden said that Trump is not “concerned about anything other than his own ego, but I think it’s beyond that. He lacks the capacity.”

And Biden attacked Trump’s relationship with Latinos, saying, “He’s failed the Latino community time and again in order to satisfy the vicious right wing of his party that he keeps feeding raw meat to.”

But the pandemic should present opportunities to pass reforms demanded by large sectors of the Hispanic community, including on immigration, Biden said.

“This is the moment to get it done. The pandemic has ripped the blinders off the rest of our country about who’s really essential,” said Biden.

“Who the hell is keeping us going during this pandemic? Latinos,” said Biden, referring to essential workers in the food and health industries.

Biden also made an appeal to Hispanic voters, who form the country’s second-largest racial or ethnic voting bloc and could prove decisive in a number of battleground states, including Florida, Arizona, Texas, Colorado, Georgia, North Carolina, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

“The path to victory in November is going to rely on Latino voters. That’s not hyperbole,” said Biden.

“We need every single voter to sign up and get engaged in our campaign,” he added.