A voter at a campaign event in Iowa got into a spat with Joe Biden on Thursday in an exchange that had the Democratic 2020 hopeful slamming the man as a “damn liar” and seeming to call him “fat”, which had conservatives leaping up to attack the candidate.
The man in the audience took the microphone and described himself as an 84-year-old retired farmer, then argued that Biden is too old to be president and pressed him on his son’s business activities in Ukraine, saying the former vice-president had “sent” Hunter to the country to work with an energy company.
Donald Trump’s efforts to pressure Ukraine to investigate Biden and the 2016 election, while holding up US military aid for Ukraine’s defense against Russia, is at the heart of the congressional impeachment inquiry.
Biden’s son Hunter used to be on the board of a private Ukrainian gas company, Burisma. The voter at the event in New Hampton, Iowa, who declined to give his name when questioned immediately afterwards by reporters, challenged Biden on the integrity of the business arrangement when he was Barack Obama’s vice-president.
“You sent your son over there … in order to get access for the president, or you were selling access to the president just like he [Trump] is.”
Biden immediately responded.
“You’re a damn liar, man,” Biden told the man. “That’s not true.” Biden denied that he or his son engaged in any corrupt activity in Ukraine and told the voter to “get your words straight”.
Biden also pushed back against the voter for questioning his age. “I’m not sedentary,” Biden said. “You want to check my shape, man, let’s do pushups together here, man. Let’s run. Let’s do whatever you want to do. Let’s take an IQ test. OK?” This suggestion was met with applause from the audience.
WATCH: A tense exchange with a voter at @JoeBiden’s event in New Hampton, IA this morning, where a voter started out by telling Biden he had two problems with him: he was too old, and his son’s work in Ukraine pic.twitter.com/ok7m0ShFPd
— Molly Nagle (@MollyNagle3) December 5, 2019
As the exchange went on, Biden then appeared to say to the voter: “Look, fat.”
Biden’s campaign claimed the presidential candidate was actually saying “look, fact” to correct the voter’s comments.
But the rapid response director for the Republican National Committee, Steve Guest, quickly tweeted: “Joe Biden doesn’t know how to treat voters … Not only does Biden call the voter ‘a damn liar,’ he goes on to call the voter ‘fat’.”
Joe Biden doesn't know how to treat voters.#Breaking: Joe Biden lashes out at voter in Iowa after the voter calls Biden out on Ukraine: Not only does Biden call the voter “a damn liar,” he goes on to call the voter “fat.” pic.twitter.com/34SMYcmbr7
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) December 5, 2019
The voter who challenged Biden came in for some criticism from other attendees after the spat, with one telling him to “get out of here”.