Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and a retired farmer sparred during a town hall meeting in New Hampton today.
The man, who announced to the crowd that he was not a Republican, first told Biden he was too old to be president. The man said Trump was “messing around in Ukraine,” then he accused Biden of “selling access” when he was vice president by getting his son Hunter a job with an energy company in Ukraine.
“You’re a damn liar, man. That’s not true. I did not on any occasion,” Biden said and the man interjected: “I didn’t say you were doing anything wrong.”
Biden replied: “You said I set up my son to work in an oil company. Isn’t that what you said? Get your words straight, Jack.”
Early on during the exchange Biden stopped a staffer from taking the microphone away from the man. The crowd booed the questioner when he accused Biden of lacking a backbone. Biden at one point told the man he was too old to vote for him.
“Let’s do push-ups together, man. Let’s run. Let’s do whatever you want to do,” Biden said and the crowd cheered.
Biden will campaign in Waterloo this evening. Tomorrow, Biden will campaign with former Secretary of State John Kerry, who has just endorsed Biden’s 2020 bid. Kerry was the winner of the 2004 Iowa Caucuses. Kerry was a Massachusetts senator at the time.