The Mercury News Weekend

Biden trades barbs with voter.

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From news service reports

Joe Biden called an elderly Iowa voter a “damn liar” and challenged him to a push-up competitio­n Thursday after the man accused Biden of improper dealings with Ukraine.

The voter, who was attending a Biden campaign event in New Hampton, Iowa, and identified himself only as an 83-year- old retired farmer, said Biden was “selling access” to the presidency. He also told Biden he was “too old” to serve as president, promoting Biden to challenge him to physical and mental acuity tests.

“You’re a damn liar, man,” Biden shot back, before challengin­g him to a contest of push-ups to prove his physical mettle. The voter said he had heard on television that Biden “sent” his son to Ukraine to work for a gas company that he was unqualifie­d for. Biden angrily rejected the accusation that he was involved in his son’s work in Ukraine or acted improperly.

Hunter Biden was on the board of a Ukrainian gas company while Biden was vice president. Biden also worked on behalf of the U.S. and allied government­s to get a corrupt Ukrainian prosecutor fired.

As the exchange ended, the voter told Biden he would not support him in the caucuses.

“Of course you’re not,” Biden said. “You’re too old to vote for me.”

President Donald Trump has made unsubstant­iated claims about Hunter Biden’s business dealings. Democrats have begun impeachmen­t proceeding­s against Trump, saying he sought to pressure Ukraine to investigat­e the Bidens in order to gain a competitiv­e edge in the 2020 presidenti­al election.

In other Biden news, John Kerry, the former secretary of state and 2004 Democratic presidenti­al nominee, endorsed Biden, buoying the former vice president’s argument that his internatio­nal experience should be a deciding factor for voters in 2020.

The Biden campaign rolled out Kerry’s endorsemen­t as it continued to portray Trump as a dangerous and erratic commander in chief and head of state. The campaign amplified its argument with an online ad featuring video of other world leaders mocking Trump at a Buckingham Palace reception held alongside the NATO summit this week.

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 ?? CALLA KESSLER — THE NEW YORK TIMES ?? Former Vice President Joe Biden is questioned about his son during a campaign stop in Iowa on Thursday.
CALLA KESSLER — THE NEW YORK TIMES Former Vice President Joe Biden is questioned about his son during a campaign stop in Iowa on Thursday.

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