10 facts about Joe Biden

The robust Joe Biden - whose life has been marked by family tragedies and political setbacks - today declared he is winning enough states to take the White House in America's knife-edge election.

Joe Biden has spent a life-time in politics, with 36 years in the senate and eight years serving in the Obama administration.

The robust former vice-president Biden – whose life has been marked by family tragedies and political setbacks - he declared he is winning enough states to take the White House in America's knife-edge election.

Speaking in his home state of Delaware, the former vice president said he would not declare victory, but believed he was on course to get enough votes in the electoral college system to beat President Donald Trump. 

Mr Biden said: "It is clear that we are winning enough states to reach 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency. "I am not here to declare that we have won, but, I am here to report that when the count is finished we believe we will be the winners."

But what do we know about the man who could be the next President of the United States? The Independent has compiled 10 interesting facts about Mr Biden…

1) He had a stutter as a child  

Mr Biden spent his childhood in Scranton, Philadelphia, before moving to Wilmington, Delaware when he was 10-years-old. At school his classmates mocked him for his debilitating stammer. They would call him ‘bye-bye’ when he attempted to say his last name.  

2) Mr Biden played football in High School  

The former vice president played American Football at Archmere Academy, a Catholic prep school. He played wide receiver and running back, catching an impressive 19 touchdown passes.  

3) He was drafted for the Vietnam War but failed the medical  

A young Mr Biden finished law school at Syracuse University and was then drafted for service in the Vietnam War. But he failed the medical due to his asthma.  

4) If he is elected, Mr Biden, 77, would be the oldest president ever inaugurated

Prior to winning the Democratic nomination in January this year he said he had to pick a vice president who would be able to take over the White House ‘immediately’ because of his age.

Speaking about the issue in Iowa he said there are “at least eight women, at least four or five people of colour” who he believed were “totally qualified to be vice president”.

“But for me, it has to be demonstrated that whoever I pick is two things,” the 2020 hopeful continued. “One, is capable of [being] president because I’m an old guy.”

5) He first ran for president in 1987 and In 2008 ran for president a second time

Mr Biden dropped out and became the running mate for Barack Obama. But it wasn’t always certain this would be the case after tactlessly describing his then-Democratic rival, as "the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy." 

6) He suffered family tragedy  

Mr Biden lost his first wife Neilia and baby daughter Naomi in a car accident in 1972. His two sons Beau and Hunter were also in the vehicle but survived. His oldest son Beau, died of brain cancer in 2015.

7) His favourite movie is Chariots of Fire

In a 2008 interview the Democrat said: "Chariots of Fire" is, I think, probably my favorite movie. 

“But the truth of the matter is the thing about it, there is a place where someone put personal fame and glory behind principles. That to me, is the mark of real heroism, when someone would do that.”

8) Joe Biden loves ice-cream 

Mr Biden has admitted to having a sweet tooth and loves to indulge with a scoop of ice-cream. In comments from 2016, he said: “My name is Joe Biden and I love ice cream.” He added: “I don’t drink. I don’t smoke. But I eat a lot of ice cream.”  

9) He purchased a puppy in 1967 for his first wife Neilia and called it ‘Senator’  

Mr Biden currently has two dogs, called Major and Champ. He got Champ, a three year old German Shepherd, in 2008 and adopted Major, who is the same breed, 10 years later.

10) Mr Biden remarried in 1977 to current wife Jill Tracy Jacobs, a teacher 

The pair were introduced on a blind date in 1975 and Mr Biden had to propose five times before she agreed to marry him.

Mr Biden often proudly refers to himself as ‘Jill Biden’s husband’ and after securing the Demoractic nomination told an audience: “Just think of your favourite educator who gave you the confidence to believe in yourself, that’s the kind of First Lady Jill will be.”