Swalwell gets in a dig at Biden's age during Democratic debate: 'Pass the torch'

(Image credit: NBC)

published 28 June 2019

Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) was quick in the second round of Democratic debates to get in a dig at former Vice President Joe Biden — and it quickly sparked a shouting match that spiraled out of control.

Swalwell during the debate hit Biden by throwing out a 1988 quote of his about passing the torch to the next generation, encouraging Biden himself to now do so.

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This diss got an audible reaction from the crowd, and Biden quickly shot back, "I'm still holding onto that torch." In that moment, just about everyone on stage felt the need to chime in all at once in what made for a chaotic moment, with South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg trying to get in a line about being the "youngest guy" in the race, while Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) came to Biden's defense as "part of Joe's generation" by saying the issue here is "not generational."

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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.

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