During Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live, Michael Che surprised the audience with a quip about President Joe Biden’s connection to Black voters, comparing him to the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Maryland that collapsed the previous week.
Co-host Colin Jost initially joked about the cargo ship hitting the bridge, leading to laughter from the audience. Che then followed up with a jab at Biden’s plan to visit the bridge, saying, “President Biden said Friday that he would visit the site of the Baltimore bridge collapse because, like that bridge, Biden is no longer connecting with Black communities.” The comment prompted a mixed reaction from the audience, with some audible gasps followed by hesitant laughter.
Che’s joke resonated with recent polls indicating a decline in Biden’s support among Black voters. While Biden secured a significant 87 percent of the Black vote in the 2020 election, recent polls show a decrease in support. According to a Roper Center poll, only 63 percent of Black voters expressed willingness to vote for Biden in 2024, marking an 11-point drop from 2020.
Despite Trump receiving 12% of the Black vote in the same poll, Biden’s campaign remains focused on reaching out to Black voters, particularly during Black History Month. However, the effectiveness of this strategy among wavering Black voters remains uncertain.
