Peter Doocy recounts tough exchanges with Joe Biden on the campaign trail
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has been very generous with his time, says Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy.
Fox News’ correspondent Peter Doocy, who has been following former Vice President Joe Biden on the campaign trail, appeared on “Fox & Friends” on Tuesday, the day of New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary, saying the Democratic presidential candidate is making it seem like no matter what happens in the Granite State “he’s in it.”
Doocy also weighed in on the fact that Biden seems to be slipping as a Democratic presidential front-runner following the Iowa caucuses.
Biden came in a distant fourth in last week’s caucuses, which kicked off the presidential nominating calendar. Former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders both claimed victory, though the state party awarded the former more delegates. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren was third at 18 percent and Biden in fourth at 16 percent. The AP has yet to call a winner in the contest.
“He was saying last night, ‘Just hang with me for 24 more hours, it’s going to be OK.’ And so he is making it seem like no matter what happens tonight, he's in it,” Doocy said on “Fox & Friends” on Tuesday. “He sees the first four [contests] as one.”
For Biden, at least a third-place finish in New Hampshire could be critical, if only to prevent an exodus of donors and the possible erosion of his so-called "firewall" of support in the looming South Carolina contest. With the race for first increasingly looking to be between Sanders and Buttigieg, Biden is essentially battling with Warren and even Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar for a top-three ticket out of the Granite State.
It's a stunning predicament for the candidate who was the unrivaled front-runner and the odds-on establishment pick in the primary race for months. He's also made electability central to his campaign pitch, and analysts say he'll need to back it up by placing in these contests.
BIDEN FIGHTS FOR SURVIVAL IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, AS ELECTABILITY ARGUMENT PUT TO TEST
Speaking from Gilford, N.H. on Monday, Biden said, “I’ll be damned if I’m going to stand by and watch us lose this country to Donald Trump a second time.”
When host Brian Kilmeade asked Doocy if he is noticing Biden’s confidence waning, Doocy said, “If it has waned, he's very good at making it seem like it hasn't.”
On Tuesday, “Fox & Friends” highlighted some of Doocy and Biden’s heated exchanges on the campaign trail.
In April, Doocy asked Biden, “If you are the best choice for the Democrats in 2020 why didn’t President Obama endorse you?”
“I asked President Obama not to endorse,” Biden responded.
Speaking from Iowa in August, Biden asked Doocy, “Have you seen anyone draw bigger crowds than me here in the state?”
“Yes,” Doocy answered.
Biden then said, “You're going to go after me no matter what.”
“And it's OK. It is good, I'm a big boy, I can handle it,” Biden added.
In September, Doocy asked Biden, “How many times have you ever spoken to your son about his overseas business dealings?’
“I've never spoken to my son about his overseas business dealings -- everybody looked at this, and everybody’s looked at it said there's nothing there,” Biden responded. “Ask the right questions.”
Doocy had referenced Biden’s son Hunter’s past business dealings in Ukraine.
Hunter Biden has become a punching bag for the White House and Trump's closest allies. The 49-year-old's controversial decision to accept a high-paying position at a gas company in Ukraine with little to no experience has become the backdrop of a whistleblower complaint that sparked Trump's impeachment -- he was eventually acquitted -- and is reshaping the 2020 presidential race. Trump has repeatedly accused Hunter Biden of ethical lapses and profiting off his famous father's last name -- something Trump's own children have been widely criticized for doing.
Doocy said the former vice president “doesn’t like” questions about his son, but has still been "generous with his time."
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“He takes the questions and a lot of time his staff will see me out standing next to the car with a microphone and they’ll text me, ‘OK, what is it today?’”
He added, “I always tell them. I'll say, ‘Hey I have a question about this.’ And then they’ll [say], ‘Come right on over.’”
Fox News’ Peter Doocy, Barnini Chakraborty and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.