'You're full of s***': Joe Biden's fiery confrontation with auto worker

Joe Biden continues to surge towards the Democratic nomination – and apparently he’s not afraid to crack some heads, or hard hats, to get there.

The process to choose a Democratic candidate to take on Donald Trump in this year’s presidential election rolled on to a handful of new states on Wednesday (AEST).

As the votes continue to roll in from Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, Idaho, North Dakota and Washington state, the former vice president is tightening his grip on the nomination.

Biden and his campaign are energised, but that energy morphed into anger during a campaign event in the key battleground of Michigan when the newly minted Democratic frontrunner faced off in a heated battle with a construction worker.

As Biden was meeting workers at an assembly plant under construction in Detroit, one man confronted the 77-year-old accusing him of trying to take people’s guns away.

“You are actively trying to end our Second Amendment right and take away our guns,” the worker told Biden.

“You’re full of s***”, he retorted bluntly.

Biden has previously supported background checks and a ban on assault weapons.

“I support the Second Amendment. The Second Amendment — just like right now, if you yelled 'fire,' that's not free speech," Biden continued. "And from the very beginning — I have a shotgun, I have a 20-gauge, a 12-gauge. My sons hunt. Guess what? You're not allowed to own any weapon. I'm not taking your gun away at all,” he told the worker.

However the man wasn’t convinced, repeating the accusation – pushed online by pro-gun groups – that Biden is “trying to take our guns”.

“I did not say that. I did not say that,” Biden told him.

When the man persisted, citing a viral video, the former vice president offered to take things outside.

“Don't tell me that, pal, or I'm going to go outside with you, man,” Biden told him.

“You're working for me, man!” the worker said.

“I'm not working for you,” Biden hit back. “Don't be such a horse's ass.”

Judging from the exchange, the worker was unlikely a Democratic voter. And judging by the results of the state’s primary today, the party faithful are much more amenable to Biden.

‘Super Tuesday 2.0’: Why today’s results matter

Michigan has been called for Biden, meaning he seizes a key battleground state that helped propel Bernie Sanders' insurgent candidacy four years ago.

The former vice president's victory in Michigan, as well as Missouri and Mississippi have dealt a serious blow to Sanders, who is urgently seeking to jump-start his now flagging campaign.

In Mississippi, Sanders could fail to win more than 15 per cent of the. vote, meaning he won’t receive any delegates at all.

As results come in, Sanders could still do well in Idaho, North Dakota or Washington state but they offer less delegates.

Most significantly, Michigan is an important state and the Democrats almost certainly need to win in it November if they’re going to defeat Trump.

The swing away from Sanders this time is telling. The progressive left senator from Vermont won the state against Hilary Clinton in 2016, despite polls at the time showing Clinton had it comfortably.

Biden's decisive performance in these three states again showed his strength with working-class voters and African Americans, who are vital to winning the Democratic nomination.

It's a dramatic reversal of fortune for Biden, whose campaign appeared on the brink of collapse just two weeks ago before the Democratic establishment and the party’s moderates hastily mobilised behind him.

That swing into action (including former rivals dropping out to endorse him) was premised on the notion that Sanders, a self declared democratic socialist, couldn’t win in a general election. And today’s results look like they vindicate that argument.

Bernie battles on in two-horse race

Today’s primaries marked the first time voters weighed in on the primary since it effectively narrowed to a two-person race between Sanders and Biden.

It showed that Sanders had yet to really broaden his appeal among African Americans after earlier setbacks in the South on Super Tuesday.

Sanders opened the nomination process with strong showings in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada, but Biden rebounded in South Carolina and built on that success with a surprise Super Tuesday rout last week.

Sanders had been hoping to pull off a victory in Michigan, where his win four years ago lent much-needed credibility to his 2016 primary challenge of Hillary Clinton.

The state is also vitally important since President Donald Trump's win there was so narrow four years ago that Democrats are desperate to show they have the strength to flip it back.

Trump won Michigan by only about 10,000 votes during the general election in 2016, his closest margin of victory between it, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin – the three states that gave Trump the edge in the Electoral College after Clinton won the popular vote.

Biden is hoping his showing can convince voters he's the candidate who can win Michigan back for his party against Trump. Sanders, who has vowed not to drop out regardless of Wednesday’s (AEST) results, may be unable to catch Biden, and perhaps only be left trying to deny him an outright delegate win ahead of the Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee in July.

with AP

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.