Donald Trump sparked a wave of criticism on Saturday after he made several statements about black voters, suggesting that the allegations against him made him a favorable candidate in the eyes of African Americans, France Presse and Agerpres reported.

The former president, the presumptive Republican nominee in November’s US election, said Friday night during a meeting with a group of conservative African-Americans in South Carolina: “A lot of people say black people love me because they’ve suffered so much and they have been discriminated against and they see me as someone who has been discriminated against.’

While under the crosshairs of criminal trials, Donald Trump also said of his famous court photo: “You know who took it the most? The black population is incredible.”

Trump’s remarks were criticized by both Democrats and Republicans, who said they drew unwanted links between African Americans and crime.

“Donald Trump took the stage to make disgraceful and racist comments,” Joe Biden condemned in a statement.

“It’s disgusting,” Nikki Haley, the only notable candidate still vying for the Republican nomination against Donald Trump, said Saturday.

The two candidates met on Saturday in the primary election in South Carolina, which was won by Donald Trump.

“This is the chaos that accompanies Donald Trump, and offensive statements like this will continue every day until the election,” she warned.