Vice President Joseph R. Biden told a New Hampshire crowd on Thursday that Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump may be too “stupid” to comprehend the consequences of his campaign rhetoric.
Mr. Biden, whose record of political gaffes is well established, told a Nashua audience that Mr. Trump’s public opinions are “genuinely a threat to the democratic process.”
The vice president’s warnings were largely in response to the billionaire’s debate performance in Las Vegas Wednesday night, when he said he would keep the nation “in suspense” on Nov. 8 regarding a possible concession speech.
“It’s possible. No, really. It’s possible he doesn’t understand the damage he’s doing,” Mr. Biden said.
The vice president’s comments open him up to backlash from critics, who may point to a long history of misstatements and racially charged rhetoric he has made during his career.
Websites across the ideological spectrum, from Buzzfeed and Politico to The Blaze and Fox News, have dedicated entire stories to chronicling his gaffes.
Some include:
- June 17, 2006: “You cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin’ Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent. I’m not joking.”
- Sept. 9, 2008 (to a wheelchair-bound man): “Stand up, Chuck, let ’em see ya. Oh, God love you. What am I talking about? I tell you what, you’re making everybody else stand up, though, pal.”
- April 26, 2012: Mr. Biden read “end of quote” out loud while using a teleprompter to cite former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt.
Mr. Trump may have added fuel to his detractors’ fire on Thursday when he told a crowd in Delaware, Ohio that he pledged to “accept the results of this great and historic presidential election — if I win.”
WATCH LIVE: Joe Biden says Trump may be too “stupid” to “know the damage he’s doing” https://t.co/H9n7JJUntx pic.twitter.com/CGdT1vtibG
— CBS News (@CBSNews) October 20, 2016
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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