Joe Biden Criticized for Plagiarism and Jokes About His Inappropriate Behavior

Joe Biden’s trip to New Hampshire was carefully planned by staff as he rolled out a new environmental policy. Joe had other ideas. He immediately went off script, telling stories that his staff admitted may not be true, and telling the crowd “don’t hold me to that” after citing potentially erroneous statistics. Observers also noted the awkward joke Biden made about his behavior towards women.

Biden’s behavior on stage wasn’t the only hiccup of the day. His environmental policy plan, which was widely panned by its target audience, appeared to plagiarize information from numerous sources. The campaign said it was an inadvertent mistake. That would be easier to believe if Biden’s 1988 campaign didn’t end amid plagiarism accusations of its own, or that his education plan faced plagiarism accusations as well.

His undisciplined performance in New Hampshire is a continuation of a recent stop in South Carolina. In a rope line interaction, Biden appears to commit to an ACLU volunteer that he would support ending the Hyde Amendment.

ACLU volunteer: “I’m glad you just said you would commit to abolishing the Hyde Amendment.”

Biden: “Right now it has to be…it can’t stay”

His campaign then told NBC News that Biden in fact still supports the Hyde Amendment, contrary to what he told the ACLU volunteer.

Overall, Joe Biden’s lackadaisical campaign has had trouble keeping him in front of voters and wrangling the candidate. With so many relentless campaigners in the field, it will become increasingly evident that Biden is coasting while not taking the rest of the candidates seriously.

What They’re Saying

Ilyse Hogue, President of NARAL Pro-Choice America: .@JoeBiden there’s nothing “middle of the road” about leaving poor women and women of color unable to access abortion care when they need it. Especially right now. That position is unjust and discriminatory and endangers women and families. #RepealHyde

Jeff Stein, Washington Post: New: In addition to lifted language from the climate plan, Biden used a sentence word from word from an education group called the XQ Institute for his ed policy. They added a link after qs from The Washington Post.

NBC News: Biden campaign’s self-inflicted error is one it can’t really afford