Joe Biden defends calling an elderly voter a ‘damn liar’ as former VP loses his cool with reporter – Daily Mail

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Joe Biden has hit out again at the elderly Iowa voter he labelled a ‘damn liar’ after losing his cool during an interview where he was compared to Donald Trump

The Democrat wagged his finger at NPR reporter Rachel Martin after she questioned his reaction to 83-year-old veteran Merle Gorman in New Hampton last Thursday. 

Presidential candidate Joe hit back: ‘Don’t compare me to Donald Trump.’ When Martin questioned the civility of his response to Gorman, Biden replied: ‘That’s not civil? To call someone who lied a liar?

‘He’s lying! He’s lying. You acknowledge what he said wasn’t even true. None of the mainstream media believes any of that was true.’  

Gorman, who previously served in the United States Marine Corp and is also a retired farmer, accused Biden of selling access to the Presidency by sending son Hunter to Ukraine to work for a gas company Burisma Holdings.

The comment caused Biden to blow up in rage, labeling the elderly Gorman as ‘a damn liar’.

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Joe Biden, right, wagged his finger at NPR reporter Rachel Martin, left, after she suggested his reaction to 83-year-old veteran Merle Gorman was not unlike President Donald Trump

Joe Biden, right, wagged his finger at NPR reporter Rachel Martin, left, after she suggested his reaction to 83-year-old veteran Merle Gorman was not unlike President Donald Trump

Joe Biden, right, wagged his finger at NPR reporter Rachel Martin, left, after she suggested his reaction to 83-year-old veteran Merle Gorman was not unlike President Donald Trump 

Presidential candidate Joe said: 'Don't compare me to Donald Trump.' When Martin questioned the civility of his response Biden replied: 'That's not civil? To call someone who lied a liar?'

Presidential candidate Joe said: 'Don't compare me to Donald Trump.' When Martin questioned the civility of his response Biden replied: 'That's not civil? To call someone who lied a liar?'

Presidential candidate Joe said: ‘Don’t compare me to Donald Trump.’ When Martin questioned the civility of his response Biden replied: ‘That’s not civil? To call someone who lied a liar?’

Biden told NPR he had been ‘joking’ with Gorman about doing push-ups and taking an IQ test. He said: ‘I was joking with him because he…came along. What was he saying? He said he’s entitled to do this. 

‘He said, “You’re too old.” He said, “You’re too old. I can’t vote for somebody as old as you.” I said OK. And he was challenging me what kind of shape, and so I kidded. I said, “Want to do a push-up contest?” I was joking. Look, I’m in pretty good shape.’  

When Martin tells Biden voters at the town hall were comparing him to Trump, Biden denies it before the reporter adds: ‘Yes, they did. They said to me, the woman you met at the end, 94-year-old Mary, said to me, “I was so disappointed in him.” This is a direct quote: “That is not the Joe I know. He sounded like Donald Trump in that clip”.’

Biden said he does not ‘belittle’ or ‘make fun of people’ like Trump, adding: ‘The fact of the matter is this guy stood up, and he was in fact lying. And I just pointed out, “You’re a liar.” It’s a fact: He lied. Period.

‘And so, you know, maybe I shouldn’t have kidded with him about that “No, let’s do push-ups”.’ 

Gorman told The New York Post on Thursday evening: ‘I’m positive 90% of the people there didn’t know about his son working on the board in Ukraine. I wanted it brought out there’.

He added that he felt compelled to question Biden about his son’s activities in the Ukraine as all ‘the others [questions] were softballs questions’.

‘They [other attendees at the campaign stop] might as well have been asking him what color the chandelier was in the vice president’s office,’ Gorman told The Post.

Retired farmer Gorman was involved in the heated exchange with Biden last Thursday

Retired farmer Gorman was involved in the heated exchange with Biden last Thursday

Retired farmer Gorman was involved in the heated exchange with Biden last Thursday

Democratic 2020 U.S. presidential candidate Joe Biden, left, faces off with a local resident Merle Gorman, right, challenging him about his son Hunter Biden's involvement with Ukraine

Democratic 2020 U.S. presidential candidate Joe Biden, left, faces off with a local resident Merle Gorman, right, challenging him about his son Hunter Biden's involvement with Ukraine

Democratic 2020 U.S. presidential candidate Joe Biden, left, faces off with a local resident Merle Gorman, right, challenging him about his son Hunter Biden’s involvement with Ukraine

The confrontation was at a campaign stop at Chickasaw Event Center in New Hampton, Iowa

The confrontation was at a campaign stop at Chickasaw Event Center in New Hampton, Iowa

The confrontation was at a campaign stop at Chickasaw Event Center in New Hampton, Iowa

Footage of the confrontation has now gone viral, with Gorman seen stating: ‘Trump has been messing around in Ukraine, he’s [got] no backbone… but you, on the other hand, sent your son over there, gave him a job working with a gas company, he had no experience with gas or nothing, in order to get access for the president.

‘You’re selling access to the president just like he [Trump] does,’ Gorman concluded.

Biden was clearly enraged by the accusation, seen pacing the floor furiously before walking up to Gorman as if to confront him physically.

Hunter Biden served on the board of Burisma, a Ukrainian energy firm

Gorman told The Post that he believes: ‘The exchange speaks for itself.

‘He [Biden] didn’t have the guts to explain the situation, and that’s what I wanted.’

‘He got p**ed off and stomped around … I wish he had explained in a decent tone of voice why he got his son in that position over there and in my opinion he had no business whatsoever sticking his nose over there.’

Trump allies have gone after Hunter Biden for taking a lucrative job on a Ukrainian energy firm’s board at a time when Joe Biden was vice president with a portfolio that included Ukraine. Biden has said he never speaks to his son about his work.

Meanwhile, during the heated exchange, Gorman also told Biden, 77, that he was too old to be running for office.

‘I am 83 and I know damn well I don’t have the mental faculties I did when I was 30 years old,’ Gorman can be seen saying in the viral clip.

Biden snaps back: ‘You want to check my shape man, let’s do push-ups together here, man. Let’s run. Let’s do whatever you want to do. Let’s take an IQ test. Ok?’

But Gorman believes he was making a fair assessment of Biden’s age, telling the Post: ‘I know for a fact my mental faculties have slipped since I hit the 70s.

‘I got a friend in New Hampton who is 105 years old and he can do push-ups, so it doesn’t mean anything about how smart you are’ 

During the exchange, Biden furiously told Gorman ‘You’re too old to vote for me,’ despite the fact the pair are only six years apart in age.

Biden wagged his finger at NPR reporter Rachel Martin after she questioned his reaction to 83-year-old veteran Merle Gorman in New Hampton last Thursday. Presidential candidate Joe hit back: 'Don't compare me to Donald Trump.' The president is pictured Saturday

Biden wagged his finger at NPR reporter Rachel Martin after she questioned his reaction to 83-year-old veteran Merle Gorman in New Hampton last Thursday. Presidential candidate Joe hit back: 'Don't compare me to Donald Trump.' The president is pictured Saturday

Biden wagged his finger at NPR reporter Rachel Martin after she questioned his reaction to 83-year-old veteran Merle Gorman in New Hampton last Thursday. Presidential candidate Joe hit back: ‘Don’t compare me to Donald Trump.’ The president is pictured Saturday 

Meanwhile, Biden’s camp has aggressively denied the former vice president fat shamed Gorman, after it challenging him to the push-up contest.

Biden aide Symone Sanders has also pushed back on claims Biden called Gorman ‘fat’ during their exchange. 

Video of the incident suggests Biden said to Gorman at one point: ‘Look, fat, here’s the deal.’

Sanders vehemently denied that, claiming Biden said: ‘Look, fact, here’s the deal.’

Sanders wrote on Twitter: ‘To be clear: Any assertion VP Biden said a word about the gentleman’s appearance is making this something it is not. In the latter part of the exchange, the VP began to say ‘Look, facts’ then said ‘here’s the deal.’ If you’ve been to a Biden event, you’ve heard this before’.

The confrontation came on a day when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, 79, unloaded on a reporter who asked if she ‘hated’ President Trump, 73.

She had just announced she had instructed committee chairs to begin drawing up articles of impeachment against Trump, in part based on the president’s actions pushing Ukraine to investigate the Bidens.

Pelosi said she ‘prayed’ for the president, who tweeted furiously in response that he did not believe her.    

Source Article from https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7769985/Joe-Biden-defends-calling-elderly-voter-damn-liar-former-VP-loses-cool-reporter.html

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