Biden in Bay Area for fundraising tour, says Trump "tells lies"
San Francisco (KTVU) - Former Vice-President Joe Biden was in the Bay Area Thursday for a series of fundraisers in Palo Alto and San Francisco.
About seventy supporters greeted him at an evening event hosted by Jed Katz of Javelin Ventures at 221 Main Street in San Francisco. Many said they left with a renewed enthusiasm for Biden, saying he was very down-to-earth. Photos showed him smiling and relating to even the youngest in the crowd.
"Right when he entered the room, everyone was standing up and gave him a round of applause but he zeroed right in on the kids who were sitting on the floor and went and sat with them. And I just think he really cares about the next generation," said Madison Dempster, a UC Davis student from San Francisco.
Biden addressed the attacks by President Trump that accuse him of pressuring officials in Ukraine to remove a prosecutor in order to take the heat off a natural gas company that had hired his son Hunter Biden to be a member of their Board.
“Every single solitary outlet has called them flat lies. They simply are not true. Zero, zero truth. The fact of the matter is, I led the effort to replace a prosecutor because he wasn’t investigating... and the IMF, the World Bank, or allies, across the board it was administration policy to say, ‘If you don't remove this guy, the rest of the world's not going to continue the finance your recovery,’” Biden argued.
Biden started the day at a restaurant in Palo Alto, briefly responding there to the high profile attacks by President Trump.
"I don't listen much to what the President says," Biden remarked.
At his next fundraising stop hosted by Senator Dianne Feinstein at her San Francisco Pacific Heights home, Biden said that President Trump tells lies.
“What presidents say and do, people listen. Our children are listening. It’s having an impact. The way he talks about people. The way he deals with people. I’ve never said this about a president and I’ve resisted saying it, up until now, but he just simply lies. Just simply lies,” Biden said,
Earlier Thursday, President Trump doubled down, calling for another foreign country to investigate Biden. The public statement echoed his July 25th call to Ukraine's president that led to allegations of abuse of power that has launched the Congressional impeachment inquiry.
"China should start an investigation into the Bidens, because what happened in China is just about as bad as what happened with Ukraine," said President Trump.
The President's request a foreign power investigate a political rival, was echoed by Vice President Mike Pence.
"American people have a right to know whether or not, the Vice-President of the United States or his family, profited from his position," said Pence.
At Senator Feinstein's guests blasted the President, saying he shouldn't be making false accusations previously debunked, with no evidence of illegal activity by Biden or his son.
"I think our country is at a real crossroads like we've never seen before," said Dr. Dean Ornish, author and physician, who attended the event, "This goes beyond being Democrat or Republican. This is about saving our country."
Dr. Dean Ornish was among some 100 guests who paid a minimum of $1,000 to hear Biden speak. Also in the crowd were San Francisco Giants president Larry Baer, San Francisco Mayor London Breed and Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, who has previously
"We'll make it through this but we can't take four more years of this President," said Jim Copeland, a Biden supporter from Monterey County.
Those people still trying to decide among the field of 19 Democratic candidates said the biggest factor is who can win.
"Biden, Warren and Kamala Harris. I think they have the most experience and the campaigns that are most viable," said Anne Harper of Marin.
"Underneath it all he's a very gentle soul. And he's been there a long time and he's probably one of the most time-tested of any of the candidates you have." Paul Denning, a Biden supporter.