AP
Then-Vice President Joe Biden, right, talks with his son, US Army Capt. Beau Biden, at Camp Victory on the outskirts of Baghdad, Iraq, July 4, 2009.
- Former Vice President Joe Biden gave some heart-felt remarks after former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg withdrew from the 2020 US presidential race and endorsed his campaign.
- Biden complimented Buttigieg, who he said reminded him of his son, Beau.
- Beau served as an officer in the Army National Guard and deployed to Iraq. He was diagnosed with a brain tumor and died in 2017.
- "And the fact that he's prepared to help me means a great deal," Biden said of Buttigieg. "I don't think I've ever done this before, but he reminds me of my son Beau."
- "I know that may not mean much to most people, but to me, it's the highest compliment I can give to any man or woman," Biden added. "Like Beau, he has a backbone like a ramrod."
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Former Vice President Joe Biden gave some heart-felt remarks in a speech in Dallas, Texas, after former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg withdrew from the 2020 US presidential race and endorsed his campaign.
"I didn't ask Pete to endorse me, but I called him and told him that we needed him to stay engaged," Biden said at a rally, with Buttigieg standing behind him. "We needed him badly to be involved. Because when he talked to the campaign ... about 'passing the torch to the next generation,' that's absolutely essential."
Biden's electability and performance ahead of the general election is frequently called into question by his critics. The 77-year-old former vice president and longtime US Senator from Delaware has often been contrasted to that of younger Democratic candidates who have dropped out, including Buttigieg, who is 38.
Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, 78, is the oldest Democrat still in the race.
Biden complimented Buttigieg, who he said reminded him of his son, Beau. One of two sons, Beau was eldest child and eventually became the attorney general of Delaware. Beau served as an officer in the Army National Guard and deployed to Iraq. He was diagnosed with a brain tumor and died in 2017.
Biden said that Buttigieg's "unlimited potential" was similar to Beau's, and that he looked forward to his continued public service. Like Beau, Buttigieg also served in the military - the former mayor served in the US Naval Reserves, and deployed to Afghanistan.
"And the fact that he's prepared to help me means a great deal," Biden said of Buttigieg. "I don't think I've ever done this before, but he reminds me of my son Beau."
"I know that may not mean much to most people, but to me, it's the highest compliment I can give to any man or woman," Biden added. "Like Beau, he has a backbone like a ramrod."
Buttigieg withdrew from the race on Sunday, after he finished fourth-place in the South Carolina primary. Exit polls indicated he won the support of 3% of the state's black voters, compared to Biden's 78% and 36% amongst the state's older and younger black voters, respectively.
"The only way we beat Trump is through a politics that reflects the decency of the American people," Buttigieg said in a statement. "It's what we sought to practice in my campaign - and it's what [Joe Biden] has practiced his whole life."
"I'm proud to stand with the VP and help make him our next Commander-in-Chief," he added.
Biden also racked up another endorsement after South Carolina's primary. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota also confirmed she would drop out of the race and would support the former vice president.