DES MOINES — In the hours leading into the first-in-the-nation caucuses, former Vice President Joe Biden took a moment to speak with Local 5’s Elias Johnson about Monday night.
“The stakes are really high. I think the character of the country is on the ballot,” Biden said. “Right off the bat, Iowa is the first gate you gotta go through.”
Biden said he’s focusing on two big questions: Who’s going to beat President Donald Trump and who’s going to bring the country together?
Biden knows that Iowa Democrats that are caucusing “desperately” want to change the direction of the country.
“They talk a lot about healthcare, they talk a lot about climate change, they talk a lot about specific issues. But the overarching issue is we have to wait,” Biden said. “This is not the country we thought we were. This is not who we are. [Donald Trump] does not represent the character of the country.”
Biden also talked about economy issues, which he says the middle class has a lot to worry about.
“The economy is in rough shape for middle class people, your farmers aren’t doing very well here at all. Number one, middle class working class people, in the whole, you have a majority of the people who categorizes middle class thinking their children will not do as well as they do is very, very good,” Biden said.
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is doing very well in the polls this caucus cycle, but Biden is adamant that he’s the best candidate to win in 2020.
“Remember, when I started talking about uniting the country in the beginning, people will say, ‘If we can’t unite the country, we’re in deep, deep trouble. The country desperately wants to be united,” Biden said.
In 2008, Biden was running side-by-side with the future President Barack Obama. That race taught him about what his future presidential-run would be like.
The former vice president said that the world already knows him, so he’ll be able to get started on foreign affairs on day one.
“I think I’ve demonstrated I’m able to get things done on the other side, as well as I’m able to pull world leaders together to get things done.”