Biden: Joni Ernst 'spilled the beans' on Trump using impeachment trial to smear him

Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) said the quiet part out loud on Monday when she told reporters she was "really interested" in seeing how Iowa voters react to President Trump's impeachment lawyers attacking former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter.

"Iowa caucuses are this next Monday evening," Ernst said. "And I'm really interested to see how this discussion today informs and influences the Iowa caucus voters, these Democratic caucusgoers. Will they be supporting Vice President Biden at this point?"

While meeting with Iowa voters on Tuesday, Biden said Ernst "spilled the beans. She just came out and flat said it. You know, the whole impeachment trial for Trump is just a political hit job to try to smear me, because he is scared to death to run against me, and he has good reason to be concerned."

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Ernst is up for re-election this year, and with her Biden comments, she has invited "Democratic activists to look at her," Sue Dvorsky, a former chairwoman of the Iowa Democratic Party, told The New York Times. Brian Bruening, chairman of the Clayton County Democrats, said the Trump legal team's arguments had "zero effect on actual caucus voters. I don't know any Joe Biden supporter whose support of Biden has lessened because of any of the impeachment issues." Catherine Garcia