On January 22, 2009, President Barack Obama issued an executive order calling for the closure of the prison facility at Guantanamo Bay within one year.

The day before President Trump’s inauguration, Obama made a final plea to Congress to close Gitmo. The guy had eight years in office to get it done, and his vice president was Joe Biden.

Guantanamo Bay came up at Thursday night’s Democratic debate, and Biden was put on the spot. So, he quickly pivoted back to an earlier question about Israel.

Joe Biden was asked about Guantanamo Bay and instead rambled at length about Israel. Was there supposed to be a pivot in there that got left out? — Tim Murtaugh (@TimMurtaugh) December 20, 2019

OMG…I just saw that….crazy. ? — Fran (@franmc_fran) December 20, 2019

Excuse me, Mr. Biden, a two-state solution is not an answer to why Guantanamo Bay is still open. — Robby Soave (@robbysoave) December 20, 2019

I thought I had lost consciousness for a moment there and missed that part — Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) December 20, 2019

Interviewer: "Why didn't your administration close Guantanamo Bay?" Biden: "The only solution to Isreal is a two party state." — Ben the Wisconnie ?? (@BenTheScribe) December 20, 2019

When asked about Guantanamo Bay, Biden talked about Israel. Did we just watch that like it was normal? — John (@WhatJohnSed) December 20, 2019

OMG did Biden just forget what question he was answering? They asked him about Guantanamo bay and he started rambling about eventually landing on Israel and Palestine. The f*** did I just watch? — A chick called Andy (@Texasgal_andy) December 20, 2019

Joe Biden quickly skirted away from answering why the Obama administration could not shut down Guantanamo Bay, and instead focused on Israel. — Sonikka Loganathan (@sonikkalogan27) December 20, 2019

The question was about Guantanamo Bay. Not about Israel, like Joe Biden rambled into.#DemocraticDebate — Colin (@ElusiveSarcasm) December 20, 2019

Joe Biden didn't even get close to answering why Obama didn't close Guantanamo Bay. #DemocraticDebate #DemDebate — KFair Writes (@kfairwrites) December 20, 2019

So Biden rambled about Israel instead of answering why the Obama administration couldn't get guantanamo bay closed. #DemocraticDebate — Pardek (@groeblbubble) December 20, 2019

Questioner: “Vice President Biden, why did you and President Obama fail to close Guantanamo Bay?” Biden: “here’s what I think about Israel!” — Lane Filler (@lanefiller) December 20, 2019

Just like Obama, Joe Biden is going to hide behind Congress for the failure to close Guantanamo Bay. Here’s a great New Yorker article on the subject, which charges that the Obama administration played a very active role in not closing Gitmo: https://t.co/srLTm9rbDE — Matt Fuller (@MEPFuller) December 20, 2019

Wait, so Biden wasn't able to get those half-dozen senators when he needed them to close Guantanamo Bay? ? #DemocraticDebate #DemDebate — Shaun Barnes (@sc_barnes) December 20, 2019

Biden is asked about Guantanamo Bay Biden answers about Israel…. I mean I'm not great at geography but I know these are 2 very different places. Does Joe? #DemDebate — Abigail Marone (@abigailmarone) December 20, 2019

Hey Joe Biden Democrats had complete control of government in your first two years in office. Why didn't you put pressure on those weak spineless Democrats that lost their elections afterwards anyways to get rid of Guantanamo Bay? #DemDebate — Street Justice (@seansabolesky) December 20, 2019

Biden using 25 flushes to make this Guantanamo Bay question disappear — Maesters of the Midway (@R0cky_T0p) December 20, 2019

Biden STILL has no good answer for keeping open Guantanamo Bay (instead pivots to Israel) #DemDebate — Elizabeth Nolan Brown (@ENBrown) December 20, 2019

Biden: "I don't like this question about Guantanamo Bay. I wanna talk about Israel." #DemDebate — Cameron Hatheway (@CamComicCorner) December 20, 2019

The Guantanamo Bay issue cuts at a big question for Biden: how would he get more done with Congress than Obama did? — Edward-Isaac Dovere (@IsaacDovere) December 20, 2019

He wouldn’t. Now about Israel …

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