Biden: Trump is ‘an idiot’ for calling Russian election interference a hoax

Published October 28, 2019 1:02am ET



2020 Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden questioned President Trump’s intelligence for not believing Russia was meddling in U.S. elections.

“He’s an idiot — in terms of saying that. Everybody knows this. Everybody knows it. Nobody doubts it,” Biden told CBS’s 60 Minutes on Sunday when asked about Trump calling Russian election interference in 2016 a hoax.

Facebook last week announced it had removed Russia-backed accounts from its platform that were parading as Americans in swing states and praising Trump, 73, at the expense of the former vice president and front-runner in the Democratic primary, 76.

The Russian efforts come amid an impeachment inquiry into Trump over allegations that he improperly leveraged U.S. military aid to pressure Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden and Hunter Biden, the second son of Delaware’s senator for 36 years and a 49-year-old lobbyist.

Hunter Biden served on the board of an energy company linked to Ukrainian oligarchs while his father spearheaded policy in the region. The president has also called on China to probe the younger Biden’s business dealings within its borders.

During the 60 Minutes interview, Biden — who suggested this week that he may not seek a second term if elected to the White House next year — was pressed on whether he is too old for the presidency. He was also grilled on his failure so far to turn out young people to his events on the campaign trail.

“No, I just say watch me. Just, just watch,” he said.

Jill Biden, the 68-year-old second wife of former President Barack Obama’s No. 2, was asked whether she had noticed a decline in her husband’s ability to communicate.

“No, not at all,” she replied, laughing.

If he wins the primary and general elections, Biden would be 78 when he takes office and the oldest president in history. President Ronald Reagan, the current record holder, was 77 when he left office in 1989.

“I feel good, and all I can say is, watch me, you’ll see,” Biden told the Associated Press. “It doesn’t mean I would run a second term. I’m not going to make that judgment at this moment.”