(CNSNews.com) - Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), now one of many Democrats running for president, said on Sunday that he believes the children of current presidents and vice presidents should not sit on the boards of foreign companies while their parents are in office.
But never mind that it happened with the Bidens: "This is Trump's scandal," Booker insisted.
Jake Tapper, the host of CNN's "State of the Union," asked Booker: "Do you think it's acceptable for the child of a president or a vice president to be sitting on the board of a foreign company while their parent is conducting foreign policy?"
Booker talked about ethics and lobbyists and tried to turn the conversation back to Trump, accusing the president of "using his office for his own political gain at the expense of national security, but Tapper didn't let him off the hook:
"It sounds like you're suggesting that in a Booker administration, the child of a president or vice president -- it would not be OK for them to be joining foreign boards while the president or vice president is conducting foreign policy as required by the law. Am I hearing you incorrectly, or am I hearing you correctly?" Tapper asked Booker:
Look, I'm watching what's going on with the Trump family right now and Trump properties, and I just find that deeply offensive to just a -- any kind of independent sense of what's honorable, ethical, not to mention in consistence with the Emoluments Clause. I just do not think that children of presidents, vice presidents during administration should be out there doing that.
But this -- any implications right now, any whatsoever -- look, Joe Biden is a statesman. He is truly an honorable man. We may have differences in this campaign, I wouldn't be running if I didn't think I should be president, not him.
But I will be standing firmly in defense of Joe Biden throughout this process, because this is in no way can besmirch his character, his honor and his incredible service to this country over decades.
And so I'm offended by the Republicans trying to shift the attention, and this is -- and what is Trump's scandal. This is a Trump scandal and potential violation of office. It has -- it should in no way affect the vice president in his pursuit of the nomination.
Booker admitted that this "could be" the last gasp of his campaign, if he doesn't reach his fundraising goal in the next 36 hours. Nevertheless, he insists he's "in it to win it."
"It's not a vanity play. I'm not sticking around for ego," Booker said, despite his low showing in the polls. "I'm not going to be in this primary unless I have a viable path to victory. We have that right now, but in the fourth quarter we're going to need help..."