NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Former Vice President Joe Biden said five weeks before the 2016 presidential election he knew Donald Trump would win and he even quarreled with then-President-Barack Obama over his prediction. He also said he knew that Trump never expected to win the presidency and wasn’t prepared to take office.
The remarks were made Tuesday evening before a packed auditorium at Vanderbilt University.
Biden blamed a lack of focus on the issues important to people who were struggling and worried about their jobs.
Former Vice President Joe Biden takes part in a question and answer session at Vanderbilt University, Tuesday, April 10, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)“Barack and I used to argue about it,” Biden said of his belief that Trump would win. “And the reason was there was not any enthusiasm out there. We just didn’t focus on what people were concerned about.”
He largely ignored Trump during his talk, with the exception of calling out the president for not forcefully condemning white supremacists who descended on Charlottesville last year who clashed with counter-protesters.