There was laughter in the room, and the woman who had asked the question reportedly said she wasn’t offended. But she later said she was taken aback,according toThe Washington Post.
The woman, a 21-year-old student named Madison Moore, had brought up Biden’s fourth-place showing in the Iowa Democratic caucus and asked, “Why should voters believe you can win the national election?”
The unusual response (which Bidenhas used before), is from a Wayne movie, he has said — though it’s not clear which Western film the quote is from and it seemshe may be combining quotes from different filmstogether.
Moore, who said she supported Andrew Yang, “felt the answer was defensive” but wasn’t offended, according toCBS reporter Bo Erickson. Speaking with thePost, however, she said the interaction had been more off-putting.
“His inability to answer a simple question from a nobody college student like me only exacerbates that reality,” she said, according to thePost.
“I’m not trying to humiliate anyone,” Moore told the paper. “He wasn’t sitting in at the Senate trials for impeachment, so he had Iowa to himself. And then you’ve been a politician for like decades — how are you not way above all the other candidates?”
Video of the moment circulated widely on Twitter, where his word choice was criticized.
(Biden’s campaign did not comment.)
Former Vice President Joe Biden.Justin Sullivan/Getty
Vice President Biden entered the 2020 race as the front-runner to challenge PresidentDonald Trumpin November, and he remains in the top group of candidates. But he placed fourth in the Iowa caucus and is expected not to win New Hampshire’s primary on Tuesday.
Aides, however, have underlined that both Iowa and New Hampshire do not play to Biden’s strengths as a candidate, given their lack of diversity, and that he should do much better in Nevada and South Carolina in the coming weeks.
The former vice presidentpushed back at a voterwhile campaigning in Iowa after the man questioned Biden about Hunter in December.
The 83-year-old Iowa voter had accused Vice President Biden of being “no better” than President Trump and asked about the theories circling in conservative circles that the Bidens had somehow acted corruptly in Ukraine.
“You’re a damn liar, man,” Biden replied then. “That’s not true. And no one has ever said that. No one has proved that.”
Joshua Lott/Getty Images
On Sunday, Biden alluded to his poor showing in Iowa while reiterating his commitment to campaigning.
source: people.com
