Mike Pence’s joke falls flat: Trump’s vice president can’t laugh when he says Biden should be on the unemployment line instead of the picket line
Mike Pence was left red-faced during the second Republican presidential debate Wednesday night when his attempt at a joke backfired and the audience reacted with confusion and silence.
The former vice president – currently ranked fifth in Republican polls behind Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy – tried to win support with a clumsy joke about Joe Biden’s visit to a union picket line.
Biden on Tuesday became the first sitting president in American history to visit a picket line.
He traveled to Detroit to show his support for striking auto workers.
Pence declared, “Joe Biden doesn’t belong on a picket line — he belongs on the unemployment line.”
The crowd did not respond.
Mike Pence declared on the debate stage Wednesday, “Joe Biden doesn’t belong on a picket line — he belongs on the unemployment line.” The joke fell flat
Pence, who has a meager 4.6 percent of support according to the FiveThirtyEight polling average, has often benefited from his years of experience as a radio host.
Yet his speech disappointed, despite a raised eyebrow, and his attempt at levity failed.
Pence, like most of the other six on stage, struggled to rise above the chaotic fray during Wednesday’s debate.
Fox Business moderators struggled to contain the seven candidates, and the debate frequently degenerated into a shouting match with viewers at home unable to hear what was being said.
Candidates failed to answer the questions and immediately turned to their own pre-prepared answers, sounding robotic and repeating slogans.
Joe Biden is seen near Detroit, Michigan, on Tuesday, becoming the first sitting president to appear at a picket line
The seven candidates seeking to challenge Donald Trump for the nomination are on display Wednesday evening at the Reagan National Library in Simi Valley, California.
Trump, who has a seemingly unassailable lead over his Republican rivals, skipped Wednesday’s debate — the second in a row he has been unable to attend.
Chris Christie took particular aim at Trump for dodging the debate, saying he was “afraid to stand on this stage and defend your record” – and calling him “Donald Duck.”
Even DeSantis, who was more conciliatory, took aim at Trump, declaring the 77-year-old “missing in action.”
Trump was in Detroit on Wednesday and gave his own speech to union workers.