Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont said Thursday that some Americans "never want to have" another black president.
The Hill reports that Leahy made the comments during an appearance on PBS' "Tavis Smiley" show.
"Get out and move around America. You'll find plenty of examples of racial prejudice," Leahy said. "There are those who never want to have another African-American president, and that would be another very, very bad thing for this country."
Leahy, who took office in 1975, supports President Barack Obama — who in 2008 became the first black president in the nation's history.
But Leahy, according to The Hill, said Obama getting elected to the Oval Office is just the start of a trend that needs to happen.
"[It] is not just the president, it is the legislatures, the governors, the members of Congress," said Leahy, who would also like to see more women run for office.
Obama
came under fire last month for comments he made at the Congressional Black Caucus dinner. The president told black leaders "most Americans" think the criminal justice system suffers from institutional racism.
Obama's comments came on the same night a police officer in
Ferguson, Missouri. was shot. Ferguson has been the site of
massive protests and riots after police there shot and killed an unarmed black teenager in August.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.