Biden calls out Iowa GOP senator's impeachment comments: 'She spilled the beans'

Joe BidenJoe BidenHillicon Valley: Biden calls on Facebook to change political speech rules | Dems demand hearings after Georgia election chaos | Microsoft stops selling facial recognition tech to police Trump finalizing executive order calling on police to use ‘force with compassion’ The Hill’s Campaign Report: Biden campaign goes on offensive against Facebook MORE on Tuesday called out Iowa Sen. Joni ErnstJoni Kay ErnstGeorge Conway group hits Ernst in new ad GOP senators introduce resolution opposing calls to defund the police The Hill’s Campaign Report: Republicans go on attack over calls to ‘defund the police’ MORE (R) for suggesting that the former vice president would be hurt politically at next week’s caucuses due to President TrumpDonald John TrumpSenate advances public lands bill in late-night vote Warren, Democrats urge Trump to back down from veto threat over changing Confederate-named bases Esper orders ‘After Action Review’ of National Guard’s role in protests MORE’s defense team focusing on him at the Senate impeachment trial.

“She spilled the beans,” Biden said at a campaign event in Muscatine, Iowa, a day after Ernst made her remarks about the Democratic presidential candidate while speaking to reporters at the Capitol.

“She just came out and flat said it. You know, the whole impeachment trial for Trump is just a political hit job to try to smear me, because he is scared to death to run against me, and he has good reason to be concerned,” Biden added.

The former vice president went on to argue that Democrats in Iowa have the chance to “ruin” Trump and Ernst’s night by caucusing for him next Monday during the first-in-the-nation 2020 vote.

Trump’s lawyers repeatedly targeted Biden and his son Hunter Biden during their opening arguments on Monday.

They made the case that Burisma, a Ukrainian gas company whose board included Hunter Biden, was corrupt and that the younger Biden’s spot on the company’s board while his father served as vice president represented a conflict of interest.

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Trump’s lawyers also argued that it was appropriate for the president to bring up the Bidens on his now-infamous July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, asserting that he was concerned with corruption.

The phone call is at the center of Trump’s impeachment and allegations that Trump tied millions of dollars in military aid to Ukraine to the nation announcing probes into his political opponents, including the Bidens.

Democrats argue that Trump’s dealings amount to abuse of power in pursuit of personal gain, while the White House has maintained that Trump did nothing wrong on the call.

Ernst said Monday she was “really interested” to see how Trump’s legal team’s presentation on the Bidens would inform caucusgoers.

“Will they be supporting Vice President Biden at this point? Not sure about that,” she said.

The comments were quickly seized on by Biden’s campaign and others as evidence that Republicans were only interested in handicapping Trump’s opponents.

ERNST: “IA caucuses are this next Monday evening. And I’m really interested to see how this discussion today informs and influences the Iowa caucus voters, those Demcaucus goers. Will they be supporting VP Biden at this point?”

H/T @JaxAlemany pic.twitter.com/tYYkSPuIDY

— Alan He (@alanhe) January 28, 2020

“Senator Ernst just said the quiet part out loud: Republicans are terrified that Joe Biden will be the Democratic nominee,” Andrew Bates, a spokesman for Biden, said in a statement late Monday.

“This turns my stomach,” Sen. Brian SchatzBrian Emanuel SchatzSenate panel votes to require Pentagon to rename bases named after Confederates Defense bill turns into proxy battle over Floyd protests Trump calls New York Times ‘fake newspaper’ after headline change MORE (D-Hawaii) tweeted.

Ernst’s office has not responded to a request for further comment from The Hill on Tuesday.

Polls indicate that Biden and Sen. Bernie SandersBernie SandersThe Hill’s 12:30 Report: Milley apologizes for church photo-op Harris grapples with defund the police movement amid veep talk Biden courts younger voters — who have been a weakness MORE (I-Vt.) are the most favored candidates in the 2020 Democratic primary field. On Monday, Sanders had a 3-point edge in Iowa in a RealClearPolitics average of polls.