Joe Biden Diverges From Other Democrats on Universal Healthcare, Illegal Border Crossings

Joe Biden Diverges From Other Democrats on Universal Healthcare, Illegal Border Crossings
Joe Biden in Chicago, Ill., on June 28, 2019. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Joe Biden recently appeared to try to differentiate himself from other presidential candidates in the Democratic Party by saying he is against medicare for all and illegal border crossings.

Biden sat down for an interview with CNN’s Chris Cuomo that aired July 5 to express his thoughts after the first debates among contenders looking to represent the Democratic Party in the 2020 presidential elections.

The candidate made his case for not forcing a socialist-style single-payer health care plan, also known as Medicare for All, on the American public. He told Cuomo people should still be allowed other healthcare options. Biden also said he does not agree with the view that others in the Democratic Party are pushing in regards to decriminalizing illegal border crossings.

Biden also stressed he was not a far left candidate like many of the other candidates seeking the Democratic nomination. He said that more Democrats around the country are moderate and more aligned with his own views.

“Look, it’s center left, that’s where I am. Where it’s not is way left,” he said.

He also said that as a result, a far left candidate ultimately can’t get as many votes.

Biden also addressed the verbal confrontation from Kamala Harris at the debates. He told Cuomo how he was not quite prepared for that kind of intensity on stage.

“I was prepared for them to come after me, but I wasn’t prepared for the person coming at me the way she came at me.”

Biden seemed surprised at how Harris spoke to him due to her friendship with him and with his deceased son. He even seemed disappointed.

During the debate, Biden seemed he was trying to avoid having to defend himself from Harris’s onslaught by telling the judge that he had gone over his time limit, and then he even apologized. Cuomo pointed out that that is an odd tactic given that candidates usually want to use up as much time as possible to have their say.

Cuomo questioned whether Biden could handle a debate with President Trump if he perceivably can’t handle a debate with someone from his own party.

Biden tried to convince Cuomo that he is still a tough guy to debate, despite the debate perceptions.

“You walk behind me in a debate…come here man,” Biden said while gesturing Cuomo towards him. Cuomo could be heard trying to suppress a laugh.

He then addressed President Trump.

“The idea that I’d be intimidated by Donald Trump? He’s the bully that I knew my whole life. He’s the bully that I’ve always stood up to. He’s the bully who used to make fun—when I was a kid, and I’d stutter—and I smacked in the mouth.”

The comment has already gotten a response from President Trump.

“I don’t think I’m a bully at all. I just don’t like being taken advantage of by other countries, by pharmaceutical companies, by all of the people that have taken advantage of this country,” Trump said, via CNN.

Trump alsotalked about Biden’s policy missteps.

“You look at what Joe Biden has done with China. We’ve lost our shirts [to] China, and now China is dying to make a deal. And we’re taking, by the way, billions and billions of dollars in tariffs are coming in, and China is paying for it, not our people.”

Trump continued to expose Biden.

“If you look at what we’ve done. If you look at what we’ve straightened out, I call it the Obama-Biden mess. We’re straightening it out.”

Trump then mentioned how dangerous the potential for war with North Korea would have been if he hadn’t straightened things out. Biden tried to disparage Trump’s efforts in North Korea during the CNN interview.

Biden was one of 20 candidates that showed up for the first round of debates for the Democratic presidential nomination. He still leads all other candidates in popularity, according to polling data from Real Clear Politics.

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