Meet the man who says Biden has a ‘wet noodle for a backbone’
The Iowa man who challenged Joe Biden during a campaign event on Thursday told The Post he had no regrets about the heated exchange.
“I’m positive 90% of the people there didn’t know about his son working on the board in Ukraine. I wanted it brought out there,” said 83-year-old Merle Gorman, referring to Biden’s son Hunter’s job at a Ukrainian gas company.
“If it educated them a little bit, so be it,” Gorman said. “I’m glad it happened.”
During a routine campaign stop in New Hampton, Gorman set the former vice president off when he accused him of sending Hunter to work for Burisma Holdings.
“You’re a damn liar, man. That’s not true. And no one has ever said that,” Biden, 77, raged.
Gorman said: “The exchange speaks for itself. He didn’t have the guts to explain the situation, and that’s what I wanted.”
“He got pissed off and stomped around … he wasn’t happy at all,” Gorman continued. “He started mumbling, saying it wasn’t true.”
“After today, he told me what he’s made out of … he’s got a wet noodle for a backbone.”
Gorman, who said he is a Marine Corps veteran and retired farmer, went to the event because it was taking place a couple of blocks from his home, and was spurred to ask about Hunter’s Ukraine dealings after hearing the other questions from the crowd.
“All the others were softballs questions, they might as well have been asking him what color the chandelier was in the vice president’s office,” Gorman said.
“I wish he had explained in a decent tone of voice why he got his son in that position over there and in my opinion he had no business whatsoever sticking his nose over there.”
There has been no evidence of wrongdoing by Biden or his son.
During the confrontation, Gorman told Biden that he was “too old for the job” of president. Biden shot back that he wasn’t “sedentary” and challenged the voter to a push-up contest, adding “let’s take an IQ test.”
“I told him, ‘You’re damn near as old as I am’ and I know for a fact my mental faculties have slipped since I hit the 70s,” Gorman said.
“I got a friend in New Hampton who is 105 years old and he can do push-ups, so it doesn’t mean anything about how smart you are,” he added.
After the exchange, Gorman said “quite a few people came up to shake my hand and said ‘right on man’ and others were mad.”
One man even challenged him to a fight he said. Video of the exchange shows Gorman responding: “stick it up your a–.”
Gorman, who said he voted for Barack Obama, said he liked Elizabeth Warren and would also gladly see Pete Buttigieg, Cory Booker or Andrew Yang on the ticket.
“I would love any of them except Joe Biden,” he said. “He’s been there all his life …”
“I don’t have any ill feelings toward Joe Biden,” he continued. “But he’s had his day in there and I’m not fond of lifetime politicians.”
Gorman stressed he wasn’t a supporter of President Trump.
“I’m not trying to mess anybody’s campaign up,” Gorman said. “I want people to know what kind of fella they’re electing.”
“I love the country, I want good people in there and not the kind of crap we got now.”
Additional reporting by Mark Moore