Presidential hopeful Joe Biden calls woman a 'lying, dog-faced pony soldier' at a campaign event

The young woman in the US state of New Hampshire received more than she expected, after she asked the Democratic candidate whether he could bounce back from the poor Iowa caucus results.

Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden campaigning in New Hampshire Source: Getty Images

Former Vice President Joe Biden has surprised many by calling a 21-year-old student a “lying, dog-faced pony soldier” at a campaign event, after she questioned him about his poor showing in the Iowa caucus.

Madison Moore had pre-warned the democratic candidate she wouldn't be fielding an easy question, ahead of asking Mr Biden: “How do you explain the performance in Iowa and why should the voters believe that you can win a national election?".

Mr Biden, 77, responded by asking "Iowa’s a caucus. Have you ever been to a caucus?” before throwing out the bizarre remark.

"No, you haven’t. You’re a lying, dog-faced pony soldier," he said, when Ms Moore indicated she had.

Social media went into overdrive after footage of the exchange emerged.

Some declared it was officially the end of Mr Biden’s campaign, even calling on the former vice president to quit.

Unknown to many, this is not the first time Mr Biden has used the phrase.

In 2018 at a Heidi Keitkamp campaign event, Mr Biden described her opponent, Kevin Cramer, using the same phrase - one he attributes to a John Wayne movie.

“As my brother, who loves to use lines from movies, from John Wayne movies, there’s a line in a movie, a John Wayne movie where an Indian chief turns to John Wayne and says, 'This is a lying, dog-faced pony soldier',” Mr Biden said.

The obscure nature of the line led to Mr Biden’s campaign team reiterating it was a joke on social media.

Mr Biden did go on to tell the student her question wasn’t “hard” but “honest”.

“It was a little bit confusing in Iowa, number one," he said, referencing the chaotic and delayed results.

Former Vice President Joe Biden had a disappointing result, limping in at fourth place. Source: Getty Images

"Let's assume it was all, everything was exactly right in Iowa. The idea that you come in with half the delegates the leaders come in with in Iowa doesn't necessarily say how you’re going to win Michigan, how you’re going to win Pennsylvania," he said.

Mr Biden came in fourth in the Iowa caucus with just over 10 per cent of the vote.