At a campaign rally in New Hampshire today, former Vice President Joe Biden was asked an uncomfortable question by a college student, whom he then called a “lying dog-faced pony soldier.”

Killing them with kindness, he is.

After a New Hampshire voter asks @JoeBiden why they should trust he can turn his campaign around, he asks if she’s ever been to a caucus before; when she says yes, Biden snaps: "No you haven’t. You’re a lying dog-faced pony soldier." pic.twitter.com/3uxOAu0Ues

— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) February 9, 2020

Madison, the student, started her question with a bit of a warning.

I’m an econ student at Mercer University. I’m going to be a little bit mean for a second, okay.

At that, Biden takes off his jacket. She continues:

You’re arguably the candidate with the greatest advantage in this race. You’ve been the vice president, you weren’t burdened down by the impeachment trials… so how do you explain the performance in Iowa and why should the voters believe that you can win the national election?

It’s the question every Democrat should be asking themselves. Biden replies:

It’s a good question. Number one, Iowa is a Democratic caucus. Have you ever been to a caucus. No, you haven’t. You’re a lying dog-faced pony soldier. You said you were, but you’re – now you gotta be honest. I’m gonna be honest with you.

What?

Turns out that Biden has used that line before. On November 1, 2018, just before he calls upon union thugs to beat up North Dakota Rep. Kevin Cramer, Biden uses the term.

Earlier this year he hurled the same insult at a young man who had the audacity to point out that under Obamacare his father could not, in fact, keep the doctor he liked.

🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨

OMG https://t.co/77eJ1MSo8a

— Comfortably Smug (@ComfortablySmug) January 5, 2020

For this election cycle it seems that Biden uses that term to distract from his weaknesses. He can’t stand to be questioned and have to explain failures. Coupled with his penchant for unintentionally telling the truth (i.e., “No one understood Obamacare”), Biden’s communications strategy is on life support.