Former Vice President Joe Biden quipped Tuesday that he would “love” for former first lady Michelle Obama to serve as his own vice president.
At a campaign stop in Muscatine, Iowa, Biden was asked if he would consider appointing Obama to the Supreme Court.
“Yeah, I would, but I don’t think he’d do it,” Biden responded. “He’d be a great Supreme Court justice.”
But the voter retorted back, “Second question is — which Obama?”
“Well I sure would like Michelle to be the vice president,” Biden said.
Tuesday’s event is not the first time Biden has called on the recent Grammy Award winner, who remains hugely popular with voters, to serve as vice president. In a September 2019 appearance on “The Late Show,” host Stephen Colbert questioned Biden as to whether he has “asked Michelle Obama for advice.”
“Only to be my vice president,” Biden responded.
But he added, “I’m only joking. Michelle, I’m joking.”
Michelle Obama and those close to her have repeatedly stated that she has no interest in running for office.
Biden has floated other women as potential running mates as well. In November, he identified former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, former gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, and New Hampshire Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D) and Maggie Hassan (D).
And last month, he told Axios that he would consider adding fellow presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) to the list.
Biden also jabbed President Trump’s defense attorneys from his Senate impeachment trial at Tuesday’s event. On Monday, Trump’s team, defending him against charges of abusing his power in relations with Ukraine, argued before the Senate that Obama had abused his own power in his relationship with Russia.
“They’re both incredibly qualified people. I mean and such decent, honorable people. I found it strange yesterday that in that Republican presentation, they talked about maybe Obama should have been impeached,” Biden added.
According to a RealClearPolitics polling average, Biden is polling in second place behind Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in the Iowa caucuses, which are coming up on Monday. Sanders garnered an average of 25 percent support compared to Biden’s 22 percent.