Former Vice President Joe Biden acknowledged in an interview that aired Friday morning that he “wasn't prepared” to come under fire from Sen. Kamala Harris in the first Democratic presidential primary debate, defending his widely panned response to the California lawmaker’s critique of his record on race.
“I was prepared for them to come after me,” Biden said to CNN of the field of 2020 Democrats he shared the debate stage with last week in Miami.
“But I wasn't prepared for the person coming at me the way she came at [me],” Biden continued, referring specifically to Harris. “She knew Beau, she knows me. I don’t — anyway, I — but here's the deal. What I do know, and it’s the good news and the bad news: the American people think they know me, and they know me.”
Harris has surged in 2020 polls in the wake of her debate performance last week, powered in large part by her forceful attack of Biden's record on racial issues, specifically his warm recollection of working with segregationist senators and his opposition to federally mandated busing to better integrate schools. The heated exchange immediately became a defining moment of the Democratic primary's early going, provoking doubts about Biden’s perceived inevitability as the party's nominee and readiness to spar with Donald Trump during the general election.
While Harris has climbed significantly in the polls, Biden has for now retained his status as the Democrats' 2020 front-runner, leading virtually every survey, albeit by smaller margins.
Countering Harris’ attack on stage, Biden said the California senator had misrepresented his record, offering a rebuttal anchored in a defense of local and states’ rights on the issue of busing. He concluded his argument with a concession to the debate's timed format, saying, “anyway, my time's up. I'm sorry.”
Biden told CNN that his decision to cut his answer short represented a desire to not “get in that scrum” with fellow Democrats.
“Do you think the American public looked at that debate, take me out of it, and thought, ‘Boy, I really like the way that's been conducted. They're really showing themselves to do really well,’” Biden said. “Come on, man.”
Article originally published on POLITICO Magazine