Former Pennsylvania governor calls Biden bid 'spectacular,' says he can beat Trump

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Ed Rendell praises Joe Biden's 'spectacular' presidential campaign rollout

Joe Biden is the first candidate to challenge President Trump's values, says Ed Rendell, former Pennsylvania governor and former chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

Former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell on Thursday praised Joe Biden's video announcement he was seeking the Democratic presidential nomination and said he believes the Maryland politician is the first candidate who can realistically beat President Trump at the polls.

"I thought his video was spectacular," Rendell told Fox News' "Outnumbered Overtime."

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Biden entered the crowded Democratic field as the frontrunner but questions remain on how he would fare against a very diverse group of challengers and whether his centrist brand is out of step with the Democratic Party.

Rendell believes Biden's message strikes the perfect note and will resonate well with all Democrats.

"The polls almost uniformly show that 70 percent of Democrats want someone who is moderate or left of center.... and 90 percent of Democrats say the most important thing for them is someone who can beat Donald Trump, who can stand up to Donald Trump," Rendell said. "I think the message that Joe Biden was delivering is 'look, polls show I'm the best candidate to run against Donald Trump and I'm not afraid to take him on.''

Rendell says that while Trump is "excellent at putting opponents on the defensive" by accusing them of being socialists who are trying to kill capitalism, he says the strategy won't work on Biden.

Biden kicked off his third bid for the presidency Thursday morning by releasing a video in which he takes Trump to task over his handling of the 2017 rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. The video starts with Biden highlighting the violence at a gathering where white nationalists were protesting the city's plan to take down a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.

"In that moment, I knew the threat to this nation was unlike any I'd seen in my lifetime," Biden said, adding that, "history will look back on four years of this president and all he embraces as an aberrant moment in time."

Biden said if Trump is re-elected, "he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation."

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Following Biden's announcement, Trump took to Twitter to mock the former vice president.

"Welcome to the race Sleepy Joe. I only hope you have the intelligence, long in doubt, to wage a successful primary campaign. It will be nasty - you will be dealing with people who truly have some very sick & demented ideas. But if you make it, I will see you at the Starting Gate!"