Mike Huckabee: Joe Biden 'just toasted his own buns' by downplaying Iowa caucuses

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Biden campaign: Iowa is not a must-win state

Former Republican Gov. Mike Huckabee says Iowans are looking for a candidate that is going to fight to win their state.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee reacted on Wednesday to Democratic frontrunner Joe Biden's campaign seemingly downplaying the importance of winning the Iowa caucuses.

“It's a bizarre statement. ... If you tell the people of Iowa, who are very politically savvy and very politically in-tune, that you probably won’t win there, i.e. you're not gonna work that hard there, then you're not gonna win there,” Huckabee told “America’s Newsroom."

Huckabee, who won the Iowa caucuses during his 2008 Republican presidential campaign, stressed that candidates cannot win Iowa without working hard in the state.

Biden’s presidential campaign has signaled that the Democratic frontrunner's team anticipates a tough battle in the lead-off primary contests of Iowa and New Hampshire.

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While the campaign still calls Iowa "critical" and the candidate himself says it holds the "key to the kingdom," a senior Biden official said the former vice president’s campaign is already ramping up efforts in the Super Tuesday states that vote at the beginning of March and beyond.

Asked specifically about the Iowa caucuses, the campaign official stressed, “I think we'll win,” but added, “do I think it's a must-win? No.”

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The comments came Tuesday as the campaign held a background briefing with political reporters.

“They’re going to look for a candidate who wants to win Iowa, who fights to win Iowa, and that ain’t Biden,” Huckabee said. “He just toasted his own buns."

Huckabee, who also ran for president in 2016, said that the trajectory of Biden’s campaign is not promising.

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“Biden needs to be worried because Biden doesn’t seem to be able to handle it at the podium," Huckabee said. "He better bring a script, better read from a teleprompter."

Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.