After the Attempted assassination of former President TrumpBiden has said his campaign shouldn’t have used the word “spot on the mark” to describe how he should treat Trump, but he still wants to keep the focus firmly on his opponent’s record and rhetoric heading into November.
“What I was talking about, actually, what I was talking about at the time was that there was very little focus on Trump’s policies,” Biden said in an interview with NBC News’ Lester Holt on Monday.
“It was a mistake to use that word,” the president acknowledged, but added, “I said pay attention to him. Pay attention to what he’s doing.”
“I’m not a guy who said on day one that I want to be a dictator. I’m not a guy who refused to accept the results of an election. I’m not a guy who said I wouldn’t automatically accept the results of this election,” Biden said. “You can’t just love your country if you win. So there was a lot of attention paid to what he said and what he thought.”
Asked if he had “reflected” on his comments, Biden replied: “How do you talk about a real threat to democracy when a president says things like he does? Do you not say anything because it might provoke somebody?”
“I didn’t say that,” Biden insisted. “Now my opponent is saying that. He’s saying if he loses, there will be a bloodbath. He’s saying he’s going to pardon everyone who’s been arrested and sentenced to prison for what happened at the Capitol.”
Biden also said Trump Violence against Paul PelosiHusband of former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.
Biden and Trump spoke by phone after Saturday’s assassination attempt, and Biden described the conversation as “very friendly.”
“I told him how worried I was and I just wanted to make sure he was OK,” Biden said. “He seemed OK. He said he was OK and thanked me for calling.”
Biden said he was unsure whether the assassination attempt would have any impact on the campaign, and said his biggest concerns were Trump’s health and media coverage.
Biden suspended his campaign activities following Saturday’s shooting. The president was scheduled to attend a ceremony in Texas marking the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. He reiterated his belief that “there is no place for violence in American politics. Absolutely not. Zero.”
When asked what he personally could do to calm the heat and the rhetoric, Biden said he would “continue to speak up about the things that matter to the American people.”
“It matters whether we accept the results of the election. It matters whether we talk about how to handle the border, for example, instead of talking about people being pests… These things matter.”
Biden was also asked what he thought about the classified documents lawsuit against Trump. Being firedThe president responded by saying he was “not surprised.”
Biden noted that the ruling was based on an opinion by Justice Clarence Thomas. President Trump’s immunity He then contrasted how he and his opponent handled the independent counsel, saying Biden cooperated with him when he was indicted and was present during testimony. Under investigation for possible improper handling of classified documents.
Biden said the reasons for dismissing the case were “unjust” and that he disagreed with Thomas’ reasons and the Supreme Court’s broader ruling on presidential immunity, adding that the justices “seem to be out of touch with the intent of our Founding Fathers.”
The conversation then turned to Biden’s debate performance and whether it has changed his mind about remaining the leading Democratic contender in 2024. Biden has said he will continue to run for president.
Most polls show Biden trailing Trump, Including battleground statesBiden argued that polls show the race is “basically even.”
Biden said he had watched “portions” of the last debate with Trump, and acknowledged again that he had “a really bad night” and that he “just didn’t feel good… I screwed up.”
But he also hit back at Holt and the media in general, asking: “Why aren’t you talking about the 28 lies he told? What’s your take on this? Why isn’t the media talking about it?”
The president said he understood some people were concerned about his age, but noted that Trump is just three years younger than him.
Finally, Biden said he would not accept President Trump’s newly announced Vice Presidential candidate, Ohio Senator J.D. Vance.
“It’s not unusual. He’s going to surround himself with people who completely agree with him,” Biden said. Vance has previously been an outspoken critic of Trump..
