Florida Democrat: Sexism and racism 'still exist' in US politics

Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) said Sunday he thinks sexism and racism “still exist” in U.S. politics, and it’s reflected in Vice President Harris’s run for office.

Frost joined CBS News’s “Face the Nation” to discuss remarks made by former President Obama, in which he called on Black men to turn out for Harris after seeing less energy among the critical voting bloc.

“I think it is an issue with a lot of different voters across this country, and it’s something that our country, you know, we’ve come a long way as in terms of women’s suffrage," Frost said. "We’ve come a long way in terms of making sure of equity in this country, but there’s still a lot of this bigotry in this country in terms of sexism, in terms of racism, and we still have to work at getting over that.

“Those things are still here. They still exist in a lot of communities, and we still have a lot of work to do here,” he continued.

While Black men overwhelmingly voted for President Biden in 2020, signs are showing that support for Harris may be softening.

New polling shows former President Trump’s support among Black men increased. With just weeks left until Election Day, the Harris campaign is looking to pull out all the stops and regain footing among the typically Democratic voting group.

Frost said sometimes voters need to take a step back and examine their own biases, and he thinks that’s what Obama was trying to convey.

But Obama’s call to action drew criticism from some who said he was sending the wrong message.

“I think President Obama was just having some very serious tough talk, right? Tough love … he was speaking directly to young Black voters, young Black men specifically, and making sure they understand,” Frost said.