D
emocrats are up in arms this week after Trump fired the State Department inspector general Steve Linick. Thankfully, a liberal reporter mentioned the firing to Vice President Biden asking him pointedly, “would you pledge right now that you will not fire any inspectors general if you were president?” Watch the awkward moment below:Emphatically Biden responded, “Yes, yes, yes!” Continuing with enthusiasm as if to further emphasize his disdain for Trump’s firing of Linick, Biden says, “the idea… inspector generals were designed to make government honest, to keep it honest. It’s a gigantic government.”
In his excitement, Biden’s mumbling and confusing run-around response goes on:
“It’s part of a troubling pattern since this whole COVID crisis began. Trump firing nonpartisan officials, firing oversight – have oversight roles, created by congress. A guy who decides now that because the inspector general may have been, the rumor is may have been, looking at something that wasn’t proper that the secretary of state did in terms of dealing with Saudi Arabia? I mean come on!”
A little confusing, but we got the gist. Biden does not agree with Trump firing IG Linick.
The reporter then asks, “but, you know, I’ve gotta point out that early in his term President Obama fired the AmeriCorps inspector general Gerald Walpin who was reportedly investigating one of his political supporters. In retrospect was that a mistake?”
Biden’s boisterous excitement was immediately squashed. “I don’t recall that, but I tell you what, I don’t ever remember the President deciding that somebody being investigated was inappropriate.” Biden has a history of failing to recollect key moments during his vice presidency. It doesn’t bode well for a potential presidency.