2020 Democratic candidates blasted former Vice President Joe Biden during Wednesday’s Democratic debate over Obama-era deportations of illegal immigrants.
After former Obama HUD Secretary Julian Castro attacked Biden’s immigration record, the former vice president responded, “I found that the secretary, we sat together in many meetings, I never heard him talk about any of this when he was the secretary,” Biden said.
Dems Declare War on Biden
Cory Booker deals a body blow ? to Joe Biden after he dodged de Blasio’s question about deportations under Obama:
“Mr. Vice President, you can't have it both ways. You invoke Obama more than anyone else in this campaign.” #DemDebate2 pic.twitter.com/tr6QhUEsff
— Joe Gomez (@JoeGomezNews) August 1, 2019
Castro replied, “It looks like one of us has learned from the lessons of the past and one of us hasn’t.” The audience cheered. “What we need are some politicians who actually have some guts on this issue.”
Biden shot back, “I have guts enough to say his plan doesn’t make sense.”
“Here’s the deal,” Biden continued. “When people cross the border illegally it is illegal to do it unless they are seeking asylum. People should have to get in line.”
That’s when Cory Booker jumped in to accuse Biden of “playing into Republican hands.”
Bill de Blasio Raises the Stakes
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio might have exposed Biden on this issue the most, pressing Biden on whether he tried to stop the mass deportations of illegal alines during Obama’s presidency.
“You were vice president of the United States. I didn’t hear whether you tried to stop them or not using your power, your influence in the White House. Did you think it was a good idea or did you think it was something that needed to be stopped?” de Blasio asked.
Biden said Obama was “the guy who came up with the idea for the first time ever of dealing with the Dreamers. He also pointed out that we should go to the source of the problem and fix it where people were leaving in the first place.
“Comparing him to Donald Trump, I think is just absolutely bizarre,” Biden added.
WATCH: Castro and de Blasio take Biden to task for deportations https://t.co/RgBGYMzLKl
— Axios (@axios) August 1, 2019
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De Blasio noted that Biden still had not answered his question about whether or not he tried to stop mass deportations, saying he needed “to be able to answer the tough questions.”
“I guarantee you if you’re debating Donald Trump he’s not going to let you off the hook,” de Blasio said. “So did you say those deportations were a good idea, or did you go to President Obama and say we shouldn’t do it?”
Biden responded by saying that he was vice president, “not the president.”
“I keep my relationship private, unlike you I expect you would go ahead and say whatever was said privately,” Biden responded. “What I do say is he moved to fundamentally change the system. That’s what he did. But much more has to be done.”
Biden Trying to Have It ‘Both Ways’
Bill de Blasio asks about influence on deportations as VP. Naturally, Biden talks about Dream Act instead #Demdebate2 pic.twitter.com/KhZ0P66Gwz
— ChuckModi (@ChuckModi1) August 1, 2019
Booker shot back at Biden, “First of all, you can’t have it both ways. You invoke president Obama more than anybody in this campaign.”
“You can’t do it when it’s convenient and dodge it when it’s not,” Booker added.
The exchange was significant for two reasons: One, Biden’s challengers are absolutely right that President Trump will absolutely bring up Obama’s deportation in the debates.
Second, and perhaps most importantly, is the Democratic Party FINALLY admitting that Barack Obama was every bit as “bad” with his illegal immigration policies as they constantly accuse President Trump of being?