White House hopeful Sen. Cory Booker Cory Anthony Booker3 reasons why Biden is misreading the politics of court packing Bipartisan praise pours in after Ginsburg's death DHS opens probe into allegations at Georgia ICE facility MORE (D-N.J.) said former Vice President Joe Biden Joe BidenPelosi slams Trump executive order on pre-existing conditions: It 'isn't worth the paper it's signed on' Hillicon Valley: Subpoenas for Facebook, Google and Twitter on the cards | Wray rebuffs mail-in voting conspiracies | Reps. raise mass surveillance concerns Fox News poll: Biden ahead of Trump in Nevada, Pennsylvania and Ohio MORE “can’t have it both ways” when discussing former President Obama when he declined to discuss conversations the two had over immigrant deportations.

“Mr. Vice President, you can’t have it both ways,” Booker said at Wednesday night's primary debate in Detroit. “You invoke President Obama more than anybody in this campaign. You can’t do it when it’s convenient and then dodge it when it’s not.”

Cory Booker: "Mr. Vice President, you can't have it both ways. You invoke President Obama more than anybody in this campaign. You can't do it when it's convenient and then dodge it when it's not" #DemDebate pic.twitter.com/CyfWa6g16c — CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) August 1, 2019

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Booker's remark came in response to an exchange between Biden and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio Bill de BlasioOVERNIGHT ENERGY: California seeks to sell only electric cars by 2035 | EPA threatens to close New York City office after Trump threats to 'anarchist' cities | House energy package sparks criticism from left and right EPA threatens to close New York City office after Trump threats to 'anarchist' cities New Year's Eve in Times Square to be largely virtual amid pandemic MORE in which the former vice president was repeatedly pressed if he thought the 3 million deportations under the Obama administration were a good idea.

Biden maintained that he would not dish on the conversations he had with Obama since they were private, only saying that the former president “moved to fundamentally change the system” but that “much more has to be done.”

The former vice president has made an early effort to promote his ties to Obama, who remains popular among the Democratic Party base, repeatedly noting accomplishments made during the “Obama-Biden administration.”

Booker continued slamming Biden, saying his proposal to allow immigrants with Ph.D.’s should get a seven-year green card plays into Republicans’ hands.

“This really irks me, because I heard the vice president say that if you’ve got a Ph.D. you can come right into this country, well that’s playing into what the Republicans want, to pit some immigrants against other immigrants, some are from shithole countries, and some are from worthy countries,” he said referencing a profane comment President Trump Donald John TrumpSteele Dossier sub-source was subject of FBI counterintelligence probe Pelosi slams Trump executive order on pre-existing conditions: It 'isn't worth the paper it's signed on' Trump 'no longer angry' at Romney because of Supreme Court stance MORE made referring to Haiti and some African countries.

Booker was expected to hit Biden, the primary field’s front-runner, as the New Jersey Democrat sees his support in polls beginning to consistently lag behind that of several other candidates.