Vice President Joe Biden reflected on perhaps the greatest disappointment of the last Democrat to serve as America’s second-in-command, saying Tuesday that Al Gore deserved to make it to the White House.
Biden and Gore were both attending a Washington, D.C. fundraiser for Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA), the Democratic nominee in the special U.S. Senate election playing out in Massachusetts. Markey, however, did not attend.
The current vice president commented on the disputed 2000 presidential election, which saw Gore win the nationwide popular vote over George W. Bush. A controversial Supreme Court decision ultimately halted the recount in Florida, striking a huge blow to Gore’s chances. Biden praised Gore for accepting the court’s decision.
“This man was elected president of the United States of America,” Biden said, according to a pool report. “No, no, no. He was elected president of the United States of America. But for the good of the nation, when the bad decision in my view was made, he did the right thing for the nation.”