Former Vice President and 2020 Democrat presidential contender Joe Biden on Tuesday said he “absolutely” agrees with a woman who claimed that President Trump is an “illegitimate” during an event in Nashua, New Hampshire.
A transcript of the exchange is as follows:
AUDIENCE MEMBER: I have a very severe case of what’s called Trump Derangement Syndrome. It probably pre-dates his announcement for election because I know people in New York City who dealt with him years ago. I have a frustration also with the Democratic party, so this is more of a comment than maybe a question. It has to do with messaging. I would like to see the party and every candidate come out with a very simple message regarding him.
He won the election by 70,000 votes in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan. He won it because he had help by the Russians. He refuses to do anything to stop that. He’s failing in carrying out the most basic function to uphold the Constitution. He is not defending our national security. He has no interest in doing it. I don’t want to live in a country run by Vladimir Putin. I don’t think anybody in the country should want that, I don’t understand why millions of people don’t get that message, and I think every candidate needs to pound that message home again and again and again.
He is an illegitimate president — in my mind. That’s it! I think all the talk about impeachment and what the Democrats should do, that’s fine. It’s theoretical at this point. Let them investigate, let them subpoena, let them go to the Supreme Court. He’s illegitimate. And my biggest fear is that he’s going to do it again with the help of Vlad, his best pal, and we’re going to be stuck for six more years of this guy. And that is terrifying. It’s terrifying.
JOE BIDEN: Would you be my vice presidential candidate? Folks, look, I absolutely agree. One of the things we have to do here, we’ve got to get this part straight in my view, you will never hear me speak ill of another Democratic candidate. And there’s a simple reason for that. We have to be in a position, whomever the nominee is, to be able to win. […] You’re absolutely right, and now that they have an investigation of the investigators who are investigating whether or not Vladimir Putin and the Russians engaged in trying to affect our elections, give me a break. Gosh almighty.”