In an interview that aired on Thursday’s edition of PBS NewsHour , Joe Biden slammed Donald Trump for acting unpresidential.
“Grow up, Donald. Grow up. Time to be an adult,” the vice president said . “You’re president. You’ve got to do something. Show us what you have. You’re going to propose legislation. We’re going to get to debate it. Let the public decide. Let them vote in Congress. Let’s see what happens.”
Biden also said that the president-elect needs to show to the public his stance on various issues confronting the country.
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“It’s going to be much clearer what he’s for and against, and what we’re for and against, now that it’s going to get down to actually discussing in detail these issues that affect people’s lives,” he added.
Joe Biden also took the opportunity to question Trump’s statements against the intelligence agencies of the United States.
“I think it’s dangerous for a President not to have confidence in, not to be prepared to listen to the myriad of intelligence agencies from defense intelligence, to the CIA, et cetera, is absolutely mindless,” he said. “It’s just mindless.”
Previously, the president-elect had criticized the whole intelligence community for their slow reactions in the wake of the Russian hacking scandal. He also seemed to have supported WikiLeaks’ founder Julian Assange’s assertion that it wasn’t the Russians who hacked into the Democratic National Conventions, a claim contrary to the findings of the intelligence agencies.
The “Intelligence” briefing on so-called “Russian hacking” was delayed until Friday, perhaps more time needed to build a case. Very strange!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2017
“ @FoxNews : Julian Assange on U.S. media coverage: “It’s very dishonest.” #Hannity pic.twitter.com/ADcPRQifH9 ” More dishonest than anyone knows
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2017
Just a few days ago, Trump vowed to restructure the Office of the Director of National Intelligence because it had become “bloated and politicized” over the years. The Central Intelligence Agency will also not be spared from the revamp.
The president-elect’s policy that seems to clear Russia of any alleged wrongdoing is in direct contrast to the Obama administration basically accusing President Vladimir Putin of undermining the U.S. elections. In fact, the U.S. sent home 35 diplomats accused of being spies as well as penalizing four GRU officials.
The order came on the heels of Obama’s interview in mid-December last year where he promised retaliation against Russia for the hacking incident.
“I think there is no doubt that when any foreign government tries to impact the integrity of our elections … we need to take action and we will – at a time and place of our own choosing,” he said in an interview with his former adviser. “Some of it may be explicit and publicized; some of it may not be.”
The president said then that he was just waiting for the final report to be submitted on his desk before deciding on the next course of action.
It’s clear that there’s no love lost between Trump and the outgoing vice president. In October last year, the latter basically wished that the antagonism will blow into a full blown physical confrontation in a report posted in Time .
In a speech he gave at Wilkes University in Pennsylvania, he knocked the former reality show host over his lewd comments regarding women.
VP when asked if he wants to debate Trump: “No, I wish we were in high school and I could take him behind the gym” https://t.co/XvgkUqllev
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) October 21, 2016
“The press always asks me: don’t I wish I were debating him,” the vice president said. “No, I wish we were in high school—I could take him behind the gym. That’s what I wish.”
Donald Trump then mocked Joe Biden, calling him “Mr Tough Guy.”
“He wants to bring me to the back of the barn. Ohhhhhh,” he said, according to Telegraph UK . “Some things in life you can really love doing. You know when he’s Mr. Tough Guy? When he’s standing behind a microphone by himself.”
No matter their history, however, Joe Biden will be presiding over a joint session to confirm Donald Trump the winner in last November’s elections after counting the electoral college votes.
[Featured Image by Mark Makela/Getty Images]