Biden feisty after debate Seeking renewed traction, former VP warns Warren not to be like Trump
Joe Biden is not giving up the frontrunner’s mantle easily, comparing rival Democrat Elizabeth Warren to President Donald Trump the day after a vigorous presidential primary debate in Ohio.
“The last thing the Democrats should be doing is playing Trump’s game, trying to con the American people to think this is easy,” Biden told reporters Wednesday outside the IBEW Electrical Trade Center in Columbus.
That gibe came after Biden, as he did in the debate, went after Warren for refusing to say that her “Medicare for All” plan likely includes tax increases for the middle class.
“It’s fascinating that the person who has a plan for everything has no plan for the single-mostconsequential issue in this election in the minds of the American people across the board,” said the former vice president.
“And, you know, credibility matters. It matters. And the question that I think that Sen. Warren is going to have to face, she’s going to have to tell the truth or the question will be raised about whether or not she’s going to be candid and honest with the American people.”
While Biden said, “I don’t Former Vice President Joe Biden, speaking Wednesday afternoon outside the Electrical Trades Center in Columbus, told President Donald Trump to either “release your tax returns or shut up.” want to pick on Elizabeth Warren,” he quickly added, “But this is ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous.”
Biden has led the Democratic pack for months, but Warren is at or near the top of several newer polls and was the center of attention Tuesday night on the debate stage at Otterbein University in Westerville. In addition, Biden’s fundraising has lagged. On Wednesday, he blamed his late start and the fact that he didn’t have Senate campaign money available to use, unlike
Warren of Massachusetts and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.
And while fact-checkers have found no truth to them, allegations of misdeeds by Biden and his son Hunter in Ukraine and China continue to be spread by Trump and his backers.
“I never discussed with my son anything having to do with what was going on in Ukraine,” Biden said. “He (Hunter) pointed out the reason why he regrets it, that he didn’t anticipate that thugs like (Trump lawyer Rudy) Giuliani to use it, in
fact, to try to embarrass his father. That’s what they are. They are flat thugs.”
Biden proposed new ethics rules this week that would bar a president’s family members from doing business with other countries. But he said the elevated standards have nothing to do with his son.
“The reason to do that is not because of anything that went on in our (Obamabiden) administration,” Biden said. “It’s because of what Donald Trump has done.