Former Vice President Joe Biden has a long history of embarrassing moments — and the “senior moments” are getting more and more frequent.
On Friday, Biden was at a campaign stop in Winterset, Iowa when he was asked by a curious voter who he’d pick as vice president if he wins the Democratic primary.
“You. Are you available?” Biden joked. He went on to list a bunch of characteristics of women he’s considering.
Biden said he could name people easily… but couldn’t remember a single one.
The former vice president named “a fired former assistant attorney general,” a reference to Sally Yates, “the woman who should have been the governor of Georgia,” former Georgia State Sen. Stacey Abrams, and “the two senators from the state of New Hampshire”, Democrats Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan.
“I mean, there’s an enormous number of qualified people,” Biden said to wrap up the awkward “senior moment.”
.@JoeBiden was asked who he would pick as VP. Biden said there were lots of qualified candidates, but he didn’t want to name names because the press would think they were his pick but went on to talk specifically about @staceyabrams, @SenatorShaheen, @SenatorHassan & @SallyQYates pic.twitter.com/9zHBLvn0Ov
— Molly Nagle (@MollyNagle3) November 23, 2019
Despite the gaffe, Biden gained an important endorsement from former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack on Saturday.
The endorsement comes as Biden has slipped from being the early favorite in Iowa last spring to trailing newcomers, South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
Biden is embarking on an eight-day bus tour this week, in hopes of sparking momentum with fewer than two months until the caucuses.
Vilsack was cheered by the more than 300 who attended the morning rally at an event hall in Des Moines. It’s been 18 years since he won reelection, and he remains the only Democrat reelected Iowa governor in more than 50 years.
The centrist Midwesterner, who shares Pennsylvania roots with Biden, was twice on Democrats’ short list for presidential running mate, in 2004 and 2016.
The Associated Press contributed to this article