On Tuesday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) said that hearing Democrats publicly state their concerns that President Joe Biden couldn’t serve another four years in office “made me sick,” “It made me sick the way people were so quickly going and airing their concerns publicly, when they had the White House’s phone number.”
Commentator Mike Barnicle asked, “The sitting President of the United States is a man known — noted for his compassion, his decency, his empathy, and, above all, his character. So, my question to you, were you at all surprised at the level of attempted humiliation of the President over the past ten days by dropped leaks from Democrats, members of Congress, members of the Senate indicating that he just had to go? But it was the way and the language that was used to describe him being in the office and not having withdrawn a month ago. Did that surprise you?”
Kaine answered, “Mike, it made me sick, but it didn’t surprise me. It made me sick the way people were so quickly going and airing their concerns publicly, when they had the White House’s phone number. I had concerns, but I just picked up the phone and talked to folks in the White House and the campaign, shared concerns, here’s the polling data. I knew in my gut Joe Biden was going to make the patriotic call. If he was up to the job for the next four years and he told me that, then we’re going all the way with him. But I also knew if he looked in the mirror and decided that he wasn’t in it for the next four-plus years, he’d level with the American public. And I think everybody should have respected him enough to know that he was going to reach the right call. So, I was not happy with the degree of public airing of concern, especially by the electeds. I get it if donors and pundits and pollsters talk publicly about their concerns, but those of us who had long-time relationships with this man and who’ve seen him again and again and again put country first, should we have communicated? Absolutely. But you communicate directly, privately, and respectfully. And so, no, I was not happy about this over the last three and a half weeks.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
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