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| How Joe Biden Talks About a Touchy Subject: His Son | How Joe Biden Talks About a Touchy Subject: His Son |
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| SPARKS, Nev. — Joseph R. Biden Jr. called an octogenarian voter a “damn liar” and challenged him to a push-up contest. He dismissed a heckler as an “idiot.” He commanded the news media to focus on President Trump instead of the overseas business dealings of his son, Hunter Biden, demanding of one reporter, “Ask the right question!” | SPARKS, Nev. — Joseph R. Biden Jr. called an octogenarian voter a “damn liar” and challenged him to a push-up contest. He dismissed a heckler as an “idiot.” He commanded the news media to focus on President Trump instead of the overseas business dealings of his son, Hunter Biden, demanding of one reporter, “Ask the right question!” |
| For months now, Mr. Biden has been confronted on the campaign trail with questions, attacks and misinformation concerning his son — encounters that have taken on a dramatic feel, given the uncertainty of how Mr. Biden will respond. As he began to address the crowd in a high school gym in Sparks this month, a group of protesters held up letters spelling out a taunt that Mr. Trump uses regularly: “Where’s Hunter?” Mr. Biden responded by saying his son “sends his best regards.” | For months now, Mr. Biden has been confronted on the campaign trail with questions, attacks and misinformation concerning his son — encounters that have taken on a dramatic feel, given the uncertainty of how Mr. Biden will respond. As he began to address the crowd in a high school gym in Sparks this month, a group of protesters held up letters spelling out a taunt that Mr. Trump uses regularly: “Where’s Hunter?” Mr. Biden responded by saying his son “sends his best regards.” |
| As the Senate impeachment trial of the president continues this week, there is renewed focus in Washington on Hunter Biden, who held a seat on the board of a Ukrainian energy company at a time when his father was vice president and handling diplomacy with the country. | As the Senate impeachment trial of the president continues this week, there is renewed focus in Washington on Hunter Biden, who held a seat on the board of a Ukrainian energy company at a time when his father was vice president and handling diplomacy with the country. |
| And Mr. Biden is no longer just dealing with questions about his son from hecklers: On Wednesday, he rejected the suggestion that he and his son testify in the trial in a swap for the testimony of current or former Trump administration officials, an idea raised by an attendee at an Iowa campaign event that has been dismissed by congressional Democrats. “This is a constitutional issue, and we’re not going to turn it into a farce, into some kind of political theater,” Mr. Biden said. | And Mr. Biden is no longer just dealing with questions about his son from hecklers: On Wednesday, he rejected the suggestion that he and his son testify in the trial in a swap for the testimony of current or former Trump administration officials, an idea raised by an attendee at an Iowa campaign event that has been dismissed by congressional Democrats. “This is a constitutional issue, and we’re not going to turn it into a farce, into some kind of political theater,” Mr. Biden said. |
| For Mr. Biden, the stream of questions about his son touches on a vulnerability for his candidacy and presents a fine line for him to navigate. As a former vice president, he wants to show that he exudes statesmanship but also wants to prove to Democrats desperate to oust Mr. Trump that he has the fortitude and temperament to take on the president. | |
| He can be by turns calm or curt as he stresses that his son committed no wrongdoing in his overseas business dealings. For the most part, he has kept his cool, but he has also been prone to displays of anger. | He can be by turns calm or curt as he stresses that his son committed no wrongdoing in his overseas business dealings. For the most part, he has kept his cool, but he has also been prone to displays of anger. |
| “It’s a very personal issue,” said Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, who said Mr. Trump was “an evil genius on the issue of trying to cut other people up, and cut them up this way.” | “It’s a very personal issue,” said Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, who said Mr. Trump was “an evil genius on the issue of trying to cut other people up, and cut them up this way.” |
| She said the “raw emotion” Mr. Biden displayed in response was perfectly understandable. “This is a dad defending his son,” she said. | She said the “raw emotion” Mr. Biden displayed in response was perfectly understandable. “This is a dad defending his son,” she said. |
| At issue is an unsubstantiated theory pushed by Mr. Trump that Mr. Biden took action in Ukraine as vice president in order to help his son, who at the time held a lucrative position as a board member of Burisma Holdings, a Ukrainian energy company. | |
| Mr. Trump has claimed without evidence that Mr. Biden pushed for the ouster of a Ukrainian prosecutor in order to derail an investigation into Burisma. The president’s phone call in July to the Ukrainian president asking him to investigate the activities of the Bidens in that country is at the center of the impeachment charges. | Mr. Trump has claimed without evidence that Mr. Biden pushed for the ouster of a Ukrainian prosecutor in order to derail an investigation into Burisma. The president’s phone call in July to the Ukrainian president asking him to investigate the activities of the Bidens in that country is at the center of the impeachment charges. |
| There is no evidence of any illegality by either Biden. But Hunter Biden’s position with Burisma — for which he was paid as much as $50,000 in some months — worried some members of President Barack Obama’s administration at the time, and Hunter Biden has since acknowledged that, in hindsight, he exercised “poor judgment” in taking the position. | There is no evidence of any illegality by either Biden. But Hunter Biden’s position with Burisma — for which he was paid as much as $50,000 in some months — worried some members of President Barack Obama’s administration at the time, and Hunter Biden has since acknowledged that, in hindsight, he exercised “poor judgment” in taking the position. |
| The scrutiny of his son could pose a difficult political problem for Mr. Biden: He is presenting himself to voters as a regular guy with working-class Pennsylvania roots, and his son’s high-paying position with an overseas business could strike some as the type of insider arrangement long familiar in Washington. | |
| And for Democratic primary voters weighing how to defeat Mr. Trump, the fact that they can now picture the general-election playbook the president would use against Mr. Biden carries risk for him, some strategists have warned. | And for Democratic primary voters weighing how to defeat Mr. Trump, the fact that they can now picture the general-election playbook the president would use against Mr. Biden carries risk for him, some strategists have warned. |
| In subtle and overt ways, the issue remains alive on the campaign trail — even among people who are sympathetic to Mr. Biden. In Centerville, Iowa, on Sunday, Mr. Biden’s wife, Jill Biden, was asked whether her family was prepared for an onslaught of attacks. She replied that the Bidens are resilient. | In subtle and overt ways, the issue remains alive on the campaign trail — even among people who are sympathetic to Mr. Biden. In Centerville, Iowa, on Sunday, Mr. Biden’s wife, Jill Biden, was asked whether her family was prepared for an onslaught of attacks. She replied that the Bidens are resilient. |
| Mr. Biden’s national poll numbers have been remarkably steady, including in recent months after the news broke of Mr. Trump’s effort to get Ukraine to investigate the Bidens. Initially, many Democrats worried that Mr. Biden appeared slow and uneven in his response, as he vacillated between lashing the president and trying to change the subject. His advisers, too, were torn in internal deliberations over how to handle the developments. | Mr. Biden’s national poll numbers have been remarkably steady, including in recent months after the news broke of Mr. Trump’s effort to get Ukraine to investigate the Bidens. Initially, many Democrats worried that Mr. Biden appeared slow and uneven in his response, as he vacillated between lashing the president and trying to change the subject. His advisers, too, were torn in internal deliberations over how to handle the developments. |
| Mr. Biden eventually settled on a rhythm of insisting that he and his son did nothing wrong, and seeking to bring the attention back to Mr. Trump. All along, Mr. Biden and his surrogates have argued that Mr. Trump’s attacks prove that the president is most concerned about facing Mr. Biden in a general election. | Mr. Biden eventually settled on a rhythm of insisting that he and his son did nothing wrong, and seeking to bring the attention back to Mr. Trump. All along, Mr. Biden and his surrogates have argued that Mr. Trump’s attacks prove that the president is most concerned about facing Mr. Biden in a general election. |
| His campaign has also aggressively tried to shape the media narrative on Ukraine. This week, it circulated a memo urging the news media to make clear that Mr. Trump’s claims about Mr. Biden are unfounded. And it released a video in which a Biden spokesman, Andrew Bates, walked through Mr. Trump’s claims and explained, sometimes in profane terms, why they were bogus. | His campaign has also aggressively tried to shape the media narrative on Ukraine. This week, it circulated a memo urging the news media to make clear that Mr. Trump’s claims about Mr. Biden are unfounded. And it released a video in which a Biden spokesman, Andrew Bates, walked through Mr. Trump’s claims and explained, sometimes in profane terms, why they were bogus. |
| “Why is Donald Trump doing this?” Mr. Bates asked. “He knows he can’t beat Joe Biden.” | “Why is Donald Trump doing this?” Mr. Bates asked. “He knows he can’t beat Joe Biden.” |
| But questions about Hunter Biden have followed Mr. Biden around the country — from a news conference in Los Angeles to a town hall event in rural Iowa to interviews with reporters aboard his campaign bus. On multiple occasions, he has been interrupted by protesters invoking his son. | But questions about Hunter Biden have followed Mr. Biden around the country — from a news conference in Los Angeles to a town hall event in rural Iowa to interviews with reporters aboard his campaign bus. On multiple occasions, he has been interrupted by protesters invoking his son. |
| Mr. Biden has occasionally flashed his anger and frustration. | Mr. Biden has occasionally flashed his anger and frustration. |
| “Let’s focus on the problem,” he told reporters this fall, aiming his fire at Mr. Trump. “Focus on this man, what he’s doing that no president has ever done. No president!” By the end of that declaration, he was practically shouting. | “Let’s focus on the problem,” he told reporters this fall, aiming his fire at Mr. Trump. “Focus on this man, what he’s doing that no president has ever done. No president!” By the end of that declaration, he was practically shouting. |
| At other times he has responded calmly, as he did in Sparks when the protesters held up letters spelling out “Where’s Hunter?” | At other times he has responded calmly, as he did in Sparks when the protesters held up letters spelling out “Where’s Hunter?” |
| “This new Republican Party, I’ve been the object of their attention and affection for a while here,” Mr. Biden said later at that event. “You saw, for example — I understand what it’s like to have my surviving son maligned as he has. I understand what it is to have lies told about me.” | |
| In late December, a succession of hecklers interrupted him at the beginning of a town hall event in Milford, N.H., including one who asked, “How much money did you make in Ukraine with your son?” | In late December, a succession of hecklers interrupted him at the beginning of a town hall event in Milford, N.H., including one who asked, “How much money did you make in Ukraine with your son?” |
| Mr. Biden responded by saying that he had released 21 years of tax returns. “Your guy hasn’t released one,” he said. “What’s he hiding?” The crowd roared with approval. But as the disruption continued, Mr. Biden offered his own appraisal of the heckler: “He’s an idiot.” | Mr. Biden responded by saying that he had released 21 years of tax returns. “Your guy hasn’t released one,” he said. “What’s he hiding?” The crowd roared with approval. But as the disruption continued, Mr. Biden offered his own appraisal of the heckler: “He’s an idiot.” |
| A particularly combative moment came in December at a town hall event in New Hampton, Iowa, when an 83-year-old man took issue with Mr. Biden’s age (he is 77) and then proceeded to accuse him, falsely, of having sent his son to work in Ukraine and having sold access to the president. | A particularly combative moment came in December at a town hall event in New Hampton, Iowa, when an 83-year-old man took issue with Mr. Biden’s age (he is 77) and then proceeded to accuse him, falsely, of having sent his son to work in Ukraine and having sold access to the president. |
| “You’re a damn liar, man,” Mr. Biden responded in a tense exchange that also included Mr. Biden challenging the man to a push-up contest or an I.Q. contest. At another point, Mr. Biden ordered the man, “Get your words straight, Jack!” (Mr. Biden later said he probably should not have challenged the man to a push-up contest.) | “You’re a damn liar, man,” Mr. Biden responded in a tense exchange that also included Mr. Biden challenging the man to a push-up contest or an I.Q. contest. At another point, Mr. Biden ordered the man, “Get your words straight, Jack!” (Mr. Biden later said he probably should not have challenged the man to a push-up contest.) |
| The reaction to that episode varied. In a primary race in which Democratic voters are eager for a candidate who can stand up to Mr. Trump, Mr. Biden’s fiery responses may provide encouragement that he can handle himself in a heated back-and-forth. | The reaction to that episode varied. In a primary race in which Democratic voters are eager for a candidate who can stand up to Mr. Trump, Mr. Biden’s fiery responses may provide encouragement that he can handle himself in a heated back-and-forth. |
| “If anybody’s wondering if Joe Biden can take on Donald Trump and is ready for a fight, I’d point you to the video in Iowa,” Symone D. Sanders, a senior adviser for the Biden campaign, said at an event hosted by Politico. | “If anybody’s wondering if Joe Biden can take on Donald Trump and is ready for a fight, I’d point you to the video in Iowa,” Symone D. Sanders, a senior adviser for the Biden campaign, said at an event hosted by Politico. |
| The next day, Joe Stutler, 56, who came to see Mr. Biden in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, spoke approvingly of his response. As a cautionary tale, Mr. Stutler cited the discredited attacks on John Kerry’s military record made during the 2004 campaign by the group Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, and said he wanted a candidate “that has the gumption to push back.” | The next day, Joe Stutler, 56, who came to see Mr. Biden in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, spoke approvingly of his response. As a cautionary tale, Mr. Stutler cited the discredited attacks on John Kerry’s military record made during the 2004 campaign by the group Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, and said he wanted a candidate “that has the gumption to push back.” |
| “There are folks that are saying, ‘Oh, well, you know, maybe he should have been a little nicer, blah, blah, blah, blah,’” he said. “No. If somebody’s going to talk smack, call him on it.” | “There are folks that are saying, ‘Oh, well, you know, maybe he should have been a little nicer, blah, blah, blah, blah,’” he said. “No. If somebody’s going to talk smack, call him on it.” |
| But there is also a delicate line between fiery and bellicose. In response to the tense exchange with the Iowa voter, a spokesman for the Republican National Committee said Mr. Biden “became unglued,” adding, “A hallmark of Biden’s 2020 campaign is him losing it on voters and reporters when pressed about Ukraine.” | But there is also a delicate line between fiery and bellicose. In response to the tense exchange with the Iowa voter, a spokesman for the Republican National Committee said Mr. Biden “became unglued,” adding, “A hallmark of Biden’s 2020 campaign is him losing it on voters and reporters when pressed about Ukraine.” |
| For his part, Mr. Biden has plenty of critical things to say about Mr. Trump, but he has publicly set a boundary for how he talks about the president. Campaigning in New Hampshire late last month, Mr. Biden noted that he had not “said a thing, and I’m not going to, about his family.” | For his part, Mr. Biden has plenty of critical things to say about Mr. Trump, but he has publicly set a boundary for how he talks about the president. Campaigning in New Hampshire late last month, Mr. Biden noted that he had not “said a thing, and I’m not going to, about his family.” |
| “The way I was raised,” Mr. Biden said, “you don’t go after somebody’s kids.” | “The way I was raised,” Mr. Biden said, “you don’t go after somebody’s kids.” |
| Thomas Kaplan reported from Sparks, and Katie Glueck from Osage, Iowa. | Thomas Kaplan reported from Sparks, and Katie Glueck from Osage, Iowa. |