Former Vice President Joe Biden fired back at Donald Trump on Tuesday after the president gave him the “Sleepy Joe” nickname during his presidential campaign.
“Well, let me tell you, Sleepy Joe is going to wake him up really quickly because none of this changes as long as he’s president of the United States of America,” Biden said.
Biden commented on the nickname during an interview with Vanessa Hauc of Noticias Telemundo, which released portions of his remarks to reporters. The full interview airs Tuesday on Noticias Telemundo.
The former Vice President blamed Trump for “fomenting hate” in the United States based on religion and race, which led to the mass shootings in Texas and Ohio.
“It’s outrageous the way in which he characterizes people. He talks about animals and crossing the border,” he said. “He talks about how these are people that are from rat-infested place. I mean, it’s just terrible.”
Biden said that white nationalists took Trump’s rhetoric as a sign that it was fine to share their own hateful thoughts.
“It’s the thing that brings all the hatred out in the open. They think it’s legitimate now to come out and do the things they do and talk about– it’s about white nationalism and white supremacy against minorities,” he said.
He also spoke about immigration, promising not to be a “deporter-in-chief” despite criticism of his role as vice president as former President Barack Obama deported illegal immigrants.
He promised to offer amnesty to all illegal immigrants if elected president of the United States.
“The day I get elected president, DREAMers are going to be legalized, number one,” he said. “Number two, we have to provide a pathway to citizenship for 11 million people.”
He also vowed that he would not lock up people claiming asylum on the Southern border or prevent them from reaching the United States.
“[W]e have to, in fact, welcome people who are seeking asylum and make a judgment about whether or not their claim is relevant and real, and not lock them up in the meantime or not keep them from even getting to the border,” he said.