Before Donald Trump delivered his newest foreign policy speech on Monday, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton tried to write him off as “temperamentally unfit” and “unqualified” to be president.
“Trump has been all over the map on ISIS,” she said during her remarks in Scranton, PA.
Vice President Joe Biden said more of the same.
In his first appearance on the campaign trail with Clinton, Biden first beamed about how happy he was to “come home” to Pennsylvania, where he used to live.
His upbeat attitude didn’t last long. Biden said he’s “not about character assassination,” but felt compelled to condemn Trump’s demeanor.
“What bothers me most about Trump is his cynicism is unbounded,” Biden said.
The fact that Trump takes most pride in the phrase “you’re fired!” is all the proof Americans need that he does not have the middle class’ interests at heart, he argued.
“This guy doesn’t care about the middle class,” Biden said. Worse than that, “He doesn’t understand the middle class. He doesn’t have a clue. “
Like Clinton, Biden also spent several moments criticizing Trump’s lack of foreign policy experience.
“No major party nominee in this history of the U.S. has known less or been less prepared to deal with national security than Donald Trump,” the vice president said. “What amazes me is that he doesn’t seem to want to learn it. This man is thoroughly unqualified to be president.”
The vice president added that Trump is not qualified to know the nuclear code and he "can’t be trusted.”
Biden said Trump’s praise for aggressive foreign leaders, including his admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin, proves he has no business leading the United States of America.
“This guy’s shame has no limit,” he said. “He would’ve loved Stalin.”
His “dangerous” and very “un-American” views are “a recipe for playing in the hands of terrorists and propaganda.”
As CNN noted after Biden’s remarks, it is extremely rare for a sitting vice president to offer such a biting criticism of the opposite party’s nominee.
Stay tuned for Katie’s coverage on Trump’s foreign policy speech.