Former Vice President Joe Biden said that he will not “pass the torch” to a new generation at the 2020 Democrat presidential primary debate on Thursday night.
“I’m still holding onto that torch,” said Biden to Representative Eric Swalwell (D-CA), who asked him to give younger candidates — such as himself — a shot at the presidency.
“I was six years old when a presidential candidate came to the California Democratic Convention and said, ‘It’s time to pass the torch to a new generation of Americans.’ That candidate was then senator Joe Biden,” said Rep. Swalwell, “Joe Biden was right when he said it was time to pass the torch to a new generation of Americans 32 years ago. He’s still right today.”
“If we’re going to solve the issues of our nation, pass the torch,” added Swalwell, who said that Biden should pass the torch specifically, in the name of climate change, student loan debt, and ending gun violence.
“I’m still holding onto that torch,” affirmed Biden.
The former vice president then went on to elaborate on his views regarding education, which met with a reaction from Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT), who insisted that he needed to respond, as he is “part of Joe’s generation.”
“I’m part of Joe’s generation, let me respond,” interjected Sanders while a debate moderator began talking over him. The Vermont senator, however, pressed on until he was given a moment of silence to finish his remarks.
“The issue is, who has the guts to take on Wall Street,” asked Sanders, “To take on the big money interests who have unbelievable influence over the economic and political life of this country.”
The Democrat candidates reacted by talking over each other, until Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) eventually took her opportunity to steal the show.
“You guys, you know what, America does not want to witness a food fight, they want to know how we’re going to put food on the table,” said Harris, in what was a bizarre assertion insinuating that the Democrat candidates’ constituency is made up of voters dependent on government to eat.
You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, on Parler at @alana, and on Instagram.
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