Entrepreneur Andrew Yang mocked former Vice President Joe Biden, a fellow 2020 Democrat presidential candidate, for skipping out on campaigning in Iowa over the weekend.
Yang, whose longshot bid for the nomination has mainly centered around automation and calls for a universal basic income, slammed Biden for not appearing at the Iowa Democratic Party Hall of Fame Dinner in Cedar Rapids on Sunday.
“When I saw the program for today, I thought the same thing you all did, which is this: Joe Biden must really not like to travel,” Yang told the 1,400 potential caucus-goers in attendance, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.
Billed as one of Iowa’s premier political events, the dinner capped off a hectic weekend that saw 19 candidates descend on the state.
Biden, however, was notably absent. Since Friday, the 2020 frontrunner has all but disappeared from view amid dropping poll numbers, accusations of plagiarism, and a high-profile reversal on the Hyde Amendment.
Officially, Biden’s campaign stated the former vice president was meeting with advisers before taking the weekend off to celebrate his granddaughter’s high school graduation. A post shared on Biden’s social media page on Sunday appeared to confirm that account.
Biden is scheduled to visit Iowa on Tuesday, marking only his second appearance in the state since launching his presidential bid.
The disinclination to visit may explain Biden’s dropping poll numbers in Iowa. A newly released poll by the Des Moines Register and CNN indicate Biden leads his nearest competitor, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), by single digits.