Hours after Joe Biden’s presidential campaign dropped a video of the former vice president’s tight relationship with whom he served, president Barack Obama, the candidate distanced himself over immigration policy.
ABC News debate moderator Jorge Ramos at the Houston debate Thursday night asked Biden a question related to the deportation policy by the Obama administration. “Why should Latinos trust you?” Ramos asked.
Biden replied, “What Latinos should look at, comparing this president to the president we have is outrageous, number one. We didn’t lock people up in cages. We didn’t separate families. We didn’t to all of those things.”
When asked further by Ramos about Obama’s deportation policy, Biden responded, “The president did the best thing that was able to be did at that time.”
Ramos then asked Biden what he specifically did in reference to deportations and Biden replied that he was the vice president, implying that he had no influence over the administration’s immigration policy.
Former Obama Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro interjected, “Every time something good about Barack Obama comes up, he says, ‘Oh, I was there, I was there, I was there, that’s me, too.'” He added, “He wants to take credit for Obama’s work but not answer any questions.”
The Biden campaign tweeted out a video earlier in the day showing the former vice president’s tight relationship with President Obama. That irritated former Obama senior White House adviser David Axelrod who tweeted, “This pre-debate video tribute to @BarackObama from @JoeBiden is about as subtle as a screen door on a submarine,” Axelrod tweeted Thursday. “Not only is he claiming co-authorship of Obama’s record. He’s sending message to the others: ‘You want to attack Obama’s record? Make my day!'”
Axelrod, however, tweeted later, “Just to be clear, I’m not criticizing @JoeBiden for touting his partnership with @BarackObama, which was genuine and strong. Nor am I criticizing the video or its timing, hours before the debate. I’m just noting the obvious strategy behind it.”
