Joe Biden claimed the state of American politics is going to “whack” President Trump.
During a CNN town hall on Monday, Biden, 76, tried to explain how politics had gotten “out of whack” under Republicans like Trump and Sen. Mitch McConnell.
“Politics today has gotten so mean and ugly and dirty and everybody questioning motive and not focusing at all on trying to put things together instead of disagreeing on substance, you go to motive,” said Biden. “It has become so, so difficult for Republicans to be able to, unless they have real courage, to stand up and take on the president even if they think he should be taken on.”
He went on to tie in McConnell and referenced his decision to block a vote to confirm Judge Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court. Biden claimed he suggested Garland to President Barack Obama because he thought Republicans would vote to confirm him.
“They know what they were doing was wrong,” Biden said.
He added, “The politics has gotten just so out of whack, but it’s going to come back and whack — heh — this guy.”
Biden’s remark angered some who were outraged that he joked about “whacking” a president. Others mocked Biden’s attempt to reverse the phrase “out of whack.”
Joe Biden just made a joke about whacking @realDonaldTrump during his CNN town hall tonight.
“The politics has gotten just so out of whack. But it’s going to come back and whack [laughs to himself] this guy.” pic.twitter.com/yNQRFik3ua
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) November 12, 2019
This is what everyone on the streets is saying https://t.co/vg9VfEFOka
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) November 12, 2019
Biden is the front-runner in the crowded Democratic presidential primary but has struggled to maintain the top position amid competition from Elizabeth Warren and weak fundraising numbers.
