Joe Biden lashes out at protesters, telling one to ‘vote for Trump’

• Former Vice President Joe Biden told an immigration activist who was questioning him on the Obama administration’s record that he should “vote for Trump.”
• At a campaign event in South Carolina on Thursday, Biden also rebuked an audience member who urged him not to accept money from corporations. 
• “I do not take money from corporations!” Biden said in response. “You listen to Bernie too much.”
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Former Vice President Joe Biden lost his patience with protesters at a campaign event in Greenwood, South Carolina, on Thursday. 

One of the protesters, identified by The New York Times as immigration rights activist Carlos Rojas, confronted Biden about the mass deportations that occurred under the Obama administration. 

Biden was asked if he would commit to putting a moratorium on all deportations in his first day as president. The former vice president, who is currently at the top of national polls among 2020 Democratic hopefuls, replied: “No. I will not stop all deportations. I will prioritize deportations only of people who have committed a felony or a serious crime, number one.”

As Rojas pressed Biden on immigration, and referenced related statistics from the Obama era, Biden lashed out at him and said: “You should vote for Trump.”

Rojas replied: “No, no … I’m not going to do that.”

More than three million immigrants who were in the country illegally were deported under the Obama administration, according to Department of Homeland Security data.

Biden has repeatedly faced questions about Obama-era deportations along the campaign trail, including during a presidential debate in September.

At the time, Biden said he thought Obama had done the best he could at handling the issue. The former vice president has fiercely defended former President Barack Obama’s record on immigration, particularly against any comparisons to the Trump administration’s deportation policies and unabashed desire to deport undocumented immigrants. 

—Eric Bradner (@ericbradner) November 22, 2019

 

During Thursday’s campaign event, Biden also briefly clashed with an audience member who said, “Please don’t take money from corporations.”

“I do not take money from corporations!” Biden said in response. “You listen to Bernie too much.”

A super PAC was set up in support of Biden in late October. The Biden campaign initially said it would not welcome the support of a super PAC, but shifted its position as the former vice president has struggled with fundraising — particularly in the third quarter. 

Faiz Shakir, Sen. Bernie Sanders’ campaign manager, slammed Biden over the super PAC flip-flop back in late October. 

Shakir said: “The former vice president has been unable to generate grass roots support, and now his campaign is endorsing an effort to buy the primary through a super PAC that can rake in unlimited cash from billionaires and corporations.”