The exchange comes on the day of the crucial Michigan primary.
DETROIT, Michigan — Former Vice President Joe Biden angrily confronted a Detroit, Michigan, auto worker on Tuesday morning during an argument over his stance on the 2nd Amendment, at one point telling the man he was ‘full of s—‘ amid the intense exchange.
The incident comes on the same day as the state’s pivotal Democratic primary, and as Biden tries to put more distance between himself and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, his chief rival for the party’s presidential nomination.
While Biden was greeted warmly by most of the workers at the new Fiat-Chrysler assembly plant, one man who claimed Biden wanted to “actively take away our second amendment,” drew the candidate into a prolonged back and forth as he attempted to push back against the claims.
At the beginning of the exchange, the worker confronted Biden with claims that the former vice president was trying to take away “our 2nd Amendment,” to which Biden told the man he was “full of s—” and continued to engage despite his aide trying to sweep him away from the conversation.
The worker told Biden that he said it in a viral video but Biden attempted to correct the individual, saying, “It’s a viral video like the other ones that have been putting out there that are simply a lie.”
At one point Biden mistakenly told the worker he was taking away his AR-14’s, instead of AR-15’s, but he corrected himself later in the exchange.
Biden also said to the man, “don’t be such a horse’s ass,” when it was clear the worker was not satisfied with the answer Biden was giving.
Biden is also set to appear with gun control advocates later today in Columbus, Ohio, and has made the push to end gun violence a central part of his presidential campaign, tweeting a video Tuesday morning outlining his plan to address the issue.
The former vice president’s gun policy plan calls for a ban on the sale of assault weapons and the establishment of a universal background check system.
Biden has also repeatedly gone after Sanders for his past votes against gun control legislation in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s.
“Bernie voted five times against the Brady Bill and wanted a waiting period of 12 hours,” Biden said during the last Democratic debate in Charleston, South Carolina, the site of a mass shooting at Mother Emanuel AME Church, “I’m not saying he’s responsible but that man would not have been able to get that weapon with a waiting period had been what I suggested, until you are cleared.”
Sanders conceded his past votes against gun control were “bad votes,” but noted his D-minus rating from the National Rifle Association (NRA) to argue his views have changed.
“I have cast thousands of votes, including bad votes,” Sanders responded during the Feb. 25 debate. “I have, today, a D-minus voting record from the N.R.A.”
Sanders also added that he supported a ban on assault weapons.
Biden visited the auto plant alongside Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan to greet workers and tout the Obama-Biden administration’s work during the auto bailout.
“When we bet on you, on the bailout, on the rescue, you guys gave up more than anybody else to keep the auto industry alive … I believe this, I’ve said it for years, you’re the best damn workers in the world,” Biden told the large crowd of workers clad in hard hats and safety vests assembled just off the factory floor.
