Joe Biden poked an Iowan voter in the chest and told him to “go vote for someone else,” despite the man saying he would support him in the general election against President Trump.
The awkward exchange occurred following a campaign event in the Hawkeye State.
The voter, identified as Ed Fallon, said that while he plans to vote for Tom Steyer in the primary, he would support Biden “because we’ve got to get rid of Trump.”
Fallon then asked the former vice president about his views on climate change and pipelines, but Biden had no interest in engaging.
A man in Iowa asks Joe Biden to stop supporting the building of new pipelines. Joe Biden tells him to go vote for someone else and then starts accusing him of voting for Bernie Sanders. Actually, the man says, he’s voting for Tom Steyer. Very awkward. pic.twitter.com/OOuGiypED8
— Zaid Jilani (@ZaidJilani) January 28, 2020
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Biden Snaps
Instead of answering the man’s question, or perhaps trying to persuade him for his primary vote, Joe Biden accuses the Democrat supporter of voting for Bernie Sanders and dismisses the need for his support.
“You need to go vote for somebody else,” Biden said, slapping Fallon on the chest, “you’re not going to vote for me in the primary.”
“I’m going to vote for you in the general if you treat me right.”
Biden then accuses the man of simply wanting a picture with him and grabs him by both sides of his jacket.
“Look, you’re asking for a picture of me, coming up and telling me you don’t support me,” he accused, but the Iowa voter disagreed reiterating his intent to support him if Biden is the nominee.
Fallon handled the exchange valiantly, continuing to try and engage Biden in civil discourse and not wavering despite the presidential candidate’s physical interaction.
In the end, he asked Biden for that picture, but the candidate refused.
Unclear if Biden understands how campaigning and elections work… https://t.co/2uPLtLzX22
— Zaid Jilani (@ZaidJilani) January 28, 2020
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Voter Was Shocked
Fallon later posted a blog entry lamenting that “despite his repeated calls for unity, Biden rejects my offer to support him in the general election.”
“That really shocked me,” he added. “What was even more shocking was how Biden pushed and poked me, and then took hold of my jacket with both hands as he lectured me.”
Fallon went on to suggest that Biden stands little chance of beating President Trump in the 2020 election, in part because of “his propensity to violate personal space … and his frequent gaffes.”
Tom Steyer, Fallon’s candidate of choice, responded to the exchange.
“This is no way to treat an Iowan,” he asserted. “He said he’d vote for the Dem in the general [because] he knows how important it is to beat Trump.”
“Don’t take it out on voters we need to win in [November],” he added.
