Stacey Abrams said she was "chastised" for "refusing to demur" in 2020 comments

Voting rights advocate Stacey Abrams said Tuesday that she felt chastised and insulted in the summer of 2020 while enduring questions about her capacity to handle the job of the Vice President of the United States when then-candidate Joe Biden was considering choosing her as his running mate. Abrams spoke to author N.K. Jemison on the first day of the South by Southwest festival, which is being held virtually this year.

"I was chastised for refusing to demur and pretend that I didn't have the capacity to do the job because I didn't have the title and the positions that people were used to seeing have," Abrams said, adding that she was asked a question very few people must contend with. "There were all these insults as opposed to looking at the fundamental question. I was asked the question white men don't get asked, 'are you qualified?'" Abrams said.