Joe Biden delivers a sharp rebuke against Donald Trump: 'He has no clue, period'

Vice President Joe Biden.
(Image credit: Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images)

Vice President Joe Biden is confident that the United States is on the right path, but the "threats are too great" and the "times are too uncertain" for Donald Trump to ever come close to the Oval Office.

"His cynicism is unbounded and his lack of empathy and compassion can be summed up in a phrase I suspect he is most proud of making famous: 'You're fired,'" Biden said. "He's trying to tell us he cares about the middle class? Give me a break, that's a bunch of malarky!" Trump "doesn't have a clue about the middle class," Biden continued. "He has no clue about what makes America great. Actually, he has no clue, period." The audience, thrilled by Biden's words, began to chant, "Not a clue! Not a clue!"

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

It wasn't all doom and gloom. Biden began his speech by calling Obama "one of the finest presidents we've ever had," and received a standing ovation when he mentioned his late son, Beau Biden, who died from cancer in 2015. He shared details about his personal relationship with Hillary Clinton, and what having a woman president would mean for his daughter and granddaughters. Biden ended his speech on a rah-rah note, saying that it's "never been a good bet to bet against America" and the country can get through anything. "We endure, we overcome, and we always move forward. That why I can say with absolute conviction I am more optimistic about our chances today than when I was a 29-year-old kid in the Senate. The 21st century is going to be the American century, because we lead not only by example of our power but by the power of our example. … God willing, Hillary will write the next chapter of our journey." Catherine Garcia

Explore More
Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.