Biden Says Iowa Was a ‘Gut Punch’ After Initial Results Suggest Lackluster Performance

Former Vice President Joe Biden (D) admitted that he didn’t have as strong of a finish as he had hoped for in the Iowa Caucuses earlier this week, as early results appeared to show he came in fourth place.

Speaking at a rally in New Hampshire on Wednesday, Biden opened up about what some have called disappointing results for a candidate who has been seen as the front-runner for much of the campaign.

“I’m not going to sugar coat it, we took a gut punch in Iowa,” Biden said, adding, “The whole process took a gut punch. But look, this isn’t the first time in my life I’ve been knocked down.”

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He also defended himself against former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg‘s attacks on his record, listing some of the legislation he helped passed and asking if Buttigieg considers former President Barack Obama’s administration a failure.

“Was it a failure? Is he really saying Obama-Biden Administration was a failure? Pete, just say it out loud.”

Then, Biden went on the offensive against Buttigieg and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), saying he believes it is a risk to nominate either of them: 

“I have great respect for Mayor Pete and his service to this nation, but I do believe it’s a risk — to be just straight up with you — for this party to nominate someone who’s never held an office higher than mayor of a town of 100,000 people.”

Additionally, he warned that if Sanders wins the nomination, “every Democrat” would have to have to “carry the label” of socialist.

“But if Senator Sanders is the nominee for the party, every Democrat in America up and down the ballot — blue states, red states, purple states — in easy districts and competitive ones, every Democrat will have to carry the labels Senator Sanders has chose for himself – chosen for himself. “

“He’s a good man, but he labeled himself,” Biden said, adding, “Donald Trump is desperate to pin the socialist label of socialist, socialist, socialist on our party. We can’t let him do that.”

Biden’s comments new attack comes as he tries to recover from a lackluster performance in Iowa. At the time Biden spoke, the Iowa Democratic Party had released partial results from roughly 70% of the precincts in Iowa. Those results showed Biden coming in fourth place with Buttigieg and Sanders in the lead.