As the first night of the Republican National Convention unfolded, President Biden sat for a new televised interview where he pushed back when asked about whether he needed to do more to convince his party that he’s got what it takes to run for a second term.
Since the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump on Saturday, the steady drumbeat of public calls from Democrats in Congress for Biden to step back from the presidential race has receded.
And Biden told NBC’s Lester Holt that he is resolved to continue his reelection bid, despite faltering badly in his debate against Trump last month.
Holt asked the president who he listens to when it comes to “deeply personal decisions,” like whether to continue campaigning.
“Me,” Biden said.
“I’m old,” Biden later said, acknowledging that he understands questions about his age.
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“But I’m only three years older than Trump, No. 1. And No. 2, my mental acuity has been pretty damn good. I’ve gotten more done than any president has in a long time in 3½ years. I’m willing to be judged on that.”
Holt asked Biden if he had watched tape of the debate. ”I was there,” Biden said. “I didn’t have to see it, I was there.”
Holt asked if Biden would be willing to debate Trump again before an agreed-upon second debate in September – a chance, Holt suggested, to “get back on the horse?”
“I’m on the horse!” Biden said, describing the flurry of events he has done since the debate to try to show it was just one bad night. “Where have you been? I’ve done 22 major events and thousands of people, overwhelming crowds. A lot’s happening.”
Biden’s own rhetoric is now being scrutinized, too
Biden said he spoke with Trump after the shooting, describing the call as “very cordial” and said he told his predecessor “he was literally in the prayers of Jill and me.”
“I hope his whole family was weathering this,” Biden added.
Biden gave an Oval Office address on Sunday where he called on Americans to “lower the temperature in our politics.”
Asked if he had done soul-searching about whether his own words could incite violence, Biden said it was Trump who had used inflammatory language — not him.
“Look, how do you talk about the threat to democracy — which is real — when a president says things like he says? Do you just not say anything, because it might incite somebody?” Biden said.
“I’m not the guy that said I want to be a dictator on day one. I’m not the guy who refused to accept the outcome of the election,” Biden said as examples of the kind of statements Trump has made.
Biden did say it was a “mistake” to say it’s time to put Trump in the bullseye on a recent campaign call.
But he repeatedly directed blame back at Trump and his own comments, from his first campaign for president in 2016 to remarks about the Jan. 6 insurrection.
Holt later asked Biden if the assassination attempt had changed the trajectory of the race.
“I don’t know,” Biden said. “And you don’t know either.”
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