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Former Vice President Joe Biden unleashed an attack ad Saturday on Pete Buttigieg’s accomplishments that pointed out that the South Bend, Indiana mayor had fired the Black police chief and Black fire chief during his time in office.
Buttigieg fired back that Uncle Joe is just salty because Buttigieg came in first place in the Iowa caucus, among the field of a dozen Democratic contenders, and that he had placed fourth.
READ MORE: Pete Buttigieg addresses low support among Black voters as primary season looms
“The vice president’s decision to run this ad speaks more to where he currently stands in this race than it does about Pete’s perspective as a mayor and veteran,” Buttigieg’s national press secretary said, according to the BBC.
Over the weekend, Biden and Buttigieg continued to exchange barbs during interviews on ABC’s This Week over the surprise campaign video that Biden put up on social media, which compares his record as vice president to Buttigieg’s accomplishments as mayor of South Bend. The video has so far been viewed 4.5 million times.
Former Mayor Pete doesn’t think very highly of the Obama-Biden record. Let’s compare. pic.twitter.com/132TB7MHaq
— Joe Biden (Text Join to 30330) (@JoeBiden) February 8, 2020
When Biden was asked on Sunday by ABC News whether he thought Buttigieg had a “race problem,” he responded: “No. I’m saying he hasn’t been able to unify the Black community, that’s what I’m saying.”
“Let’s get something straight here,” Biden added. “I didn’t attack Pete. Pete’s been attacking me. He’s been saying the reason we’re in the problem we’re in now is because of the recent past. That’s 8 years of Obama and me. I don’t get that.”
Biden also said that Buttigieg is “no Barack Obama.”
Buttigieg agrees.
“Well he’s right, I’m not Barack Obama, and neither is he. Neither is anyone running for president right now. And this isn’t 2008, it’s 2020, and this election is about where our country is headed next,” he said.
READ MORE: Joe Biden says he would like Michelle Obama to be his vice president
Buttigieg also addressed his need to attack Black supporters.
“I’m going to have to work to earn that vote, just as I did in South Bend,” Buttigieg said, according to the BBC. “We need to have a systemic vision for dismantling systemic racism,” he added.
Tomorrow, voters will select a Democratic candidate in New Hampshire, which marks the first primary of the election season.