Less than two months out from the first contest of the Democratic primary, Pete Buttigieg is upping the ante, going after his closest moderate rival. Joe Biden, he remarked in an interview on Iowa Public Television over the weekend, “supported the worst foreign policy decision made by the United States in my lifetime, which was the decision to invade Iraq.” He added, “This is an example of why years in Washington is not always the same thing as judgment.” He hit the former vice president again in a separate interview over the weekend, noting that Biden’s support for the war in Iraq is “certainly a question that reflects on foreign policy judgment at a time like this when it’s so precarious for the people of the U.S.,”
The remarks, delivered during a barnstorming trip to the key caucus state, represented an escalation in Buttigieg’s attacks on Biden, who is still leading the Democratic field. Buttigieg, who’s polling first in Iowa but sitting around fourth in national averages, has sparred with Biden before, saying in September that the former veep gave a “bad answer” on the legacy of slavery, and in general positioning himself as a younger, less-swampy moderate who can energize Democratic voters who might be sick of the old guard. But so far his most pointed jabs have been reserved for Elizabeth Warren, who has engaged him in a veritable cold war over accepting campaign contributions from wealthy donors. In going after Biden, Buttigieg is indicating this his [more aggressive approach](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/12/pete-buttigieg-newfound-aggression-elizabeth-warren-backfire-on-debate-night_ to the race—which has coincided with a rise in the polls for him—likely applies across the board.
In going after Biden’s Iraq vote, the mayor is also making the case for why his own relatively thin record shouldn’t disqualify him. Of all the leading candidates, Buttigieg has the least experience; Biden, who spent decades in Washington as a senator and eight years as vice president under Barack Obama, has made his extensive experience a major selling point of his candidacy. “People say, ‘You’ve been around a long time, Joe,’” Biden told a crowd in Iowa earlier this month. “That’s why I’m running, because I’ve been around a long time.” The 37-year-old Buttigieg, however, has sought to downplay that experience, suggesting that decades in D.C. doesn’t necessarily equate to sound acumen. “Obviously, my judgment is different when it comes to a lot of these issues,” Buttigieg told reporters over the weekend.
More Great Stories from Vanity Fair
— On the eve of impeachment vote, Giuliani called up New York Times to incriminate Trump
— Melania Trump believes Greta Thunberg had POTUS attack coming
— Inside Roger Ailes’s twisted game of mind control
— Why the White House belongs to Jared Kushner now
— Kamala Harris’ next act is destroying Stephen Miller
— From the Archive: Inside Jeffrey Wigand’s epic multibillion-dollar struggle
Looking for more? Sign up for our daily Hive newsletter and never miss a story.