Biden, stumping for Clinton, trashes Trump

Trump "is totally, thoroughly, unqualified to be president of the United States of America," says Vice President

NEW YORK: Vice President Joe Biden on Monday hit the 2016 campaign trail with Hillary Clinton for the first time, trashing Donald Trump as unqualified for the White House and accusing him of endangering the lives of US troops.

In the former coal mining town of Scranton, where Biden grew up in the key battleground state of Pennsylvania, the vice president said Clinton was the only choice for Americans who know what it's like to struggle.



Biden's folksy demeanor and ability to connect with working-class voters is considered an asset for Clinton -- particularly among blue collar white male voters who lean towards Trump, her Republican rival.

"No major party nominee in the history of the United States of America has known less or been less prepared to deal with our national security than Donald Trump," said Biden, who served as a US senator for 36 years.

"This man is totally, thoroughly, unqualified to be president of the United States of America," he added.



The Republican nominee has made a big play for Pennsylvania, which has voted Democratic in the last six presidential elections.

But a series of unforced errors have handed Clinton a wide lead in the polls. In Pennsylvania, she is up an average of 9.2 percentage points at 49.2 percent to 40 percent for Trump, according to the RealClearPolitics polling average.

Trump's accusation that Obama and Clinton created the so-called Islamic State extremist group had imperiled the lives of US troops, Biden said.



"If my son were still in Iraq and I say to all those who are there, the threat to their life has gone up a couple of clicks," he said.

"Ladies and gentlemen, does he have any idea of the adverse consequences these comments have on our allies, our friends and the physical safety of our troops? Trump is already making our country less safe," he said.

The people of Scranton and towns like it "deserve someone who's with them and they deserve someone who's made of the same stuff. That's Hillary Clinton," said the man who built his political career on his blue collar credentials.



Clinton also has ties to the town. Her father was born and buried in Scranton, and Clinton was christened there as a child.

Repeating from his much-praised speech at the Democratic National Convention last week, Biden rubbished Trump's claim to understand the middle class.

"To repeat myself, it's a bunch of malarkey," he said. "This guy doesn't care about the middle class... He doesn't have a clue. He really doesn't."

Clinton and Biden have had a lengthy rivalry despite both having served in Obama's cabinet.



Last year, Biden seriously contemplated another presidential run, but he ultimately decided not to following the death of his son Beau.

In a scathing opinion piece, The Wall Street Journal called on Trump to get his act together or drop out in favor of his running mate.

"He needs to stop blaming everyone else and decide if he wants to behave like someone who wants to be president -- or turn the nomination over to Mike Pence," the conservative-leaning newspaper wrote.