The Democratic candidates are vying for votes in New Hampshire ahead of the state's primary election on Feb. 11th. At a campaign stop, former Vice President Joe Biden responded to a voter's question by calling the woman "a lying dog-faced pony soldier."
The young woman identified herself as an economics student at Mercer University. Her question for Biden concerned the candidate's disastrous fourth-place finish in the Iowa Caucuses last week, though technically the results have yet to be finalized. Numerous reports show errors and other irregularities concerning the results.
"So you're arguably the candidate with the greatest advantage in this race," the woman began her question. "You've been the vice president. You weren't burdened down in the impeachment trials ..."
There were audible groans in the room full of Biden supporters when the woman mentioned being "burdened down" by the impeachment trials. The woman meant that Biden – unlike Sens. Warren, Klobuchar and Sanders – was able to campaign while the senators remained in Washington to participate in the impeachment trial. But the comment appeared to strike many of the supporters as a reference to the Biden family being at the very center of the accusations leveled against the president, namely that Trump was calling for an investigation into the Bidens' conflict of interest in Ukraine.
"Or in the participation," the young woman immediately clarified. "So how do you explain the performance in Iowa and why should the voters believe that you can win the national election?"
"It's a good question," Biden admitted. "Number one, Iowa is a Democratic caucus. Ever been to a caucus?" Biden asked the young woman.
The woman indicated she had.
"No you haven’t," Biden said. "You’re a lying dog-faced pony soldier."
After a New Hampshire voter asks @JoeBiden why they should trust he can turn his campaign around, he asks if she’s ever been to a caucus before; when she says yes, Biden snaps: "No you haven’t. You’re a lying dog-faced pony soldier." pic.twitter.com/3uxOAu0Ues
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) February 9, 2020
The reference is seemingly a quote from a John Wayne movie, and Biden has made the reference in the past. According to Biden, the candidate's brother likes to use quotes from John Wayne movies and this one appears to have stuck with the candidate. But it's definitely weird for Biden to be calling a young voter a "lying dog-faced pony soldier." On the bright side, at least he didn't touch her like a creep.