Biden says his mental acuity is ‘pretty damn good,’ scolds NBC host over debate disaster question: ‘What’s up with you?’
Joe Biden sat down for an interview with NBC anchor Lester Holt on Monday, July 15, soon after Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt.
Joe Biden sat down for an interview with NBC anchor Lester Holt on Monday, July 15, soon after Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt. After the attack on Trump, Biden had said in a statement that “there is no place in America for this kind of violence.” But as the two compete in a close race, the president stressed during the NBC interview that he does not wish to play a game of false equivalency.
“I’m not the guy that said, I want to be a dictator on Day One,” Biden said of the language the former president had used on the campaign trail. Referencing the 2020 race and Trump’s claim that it was stolen, the president said, “I’m not the guy that refused to accept the outcome of the election.”
“I’m not the guy who said he wouldn’t accept the outcome of this election automatically,” Biden added.
“Look, I’m not engaged in that rhetoric,” Biden told Holt in the interview, which was held in the White House, on being asked about remarks he made in the past that may have come across as agitational.
“Now my opponent is against that rhetoric. He talks about bloodbath if he loses, talking about how he’s going to forgive …I guess suspend the sentences of all those who were arrested and sentenced to go to jail because of what happened to the Capitol,” Biden said, referring to the January 6 mob that Trump and his supporters call “political prisoners.”
While campaigning for Senate candidate Bernie Moreno in Ohio back in March, Trump had warned that there will be a “bloodbath” if he loses in November. “If I don’t get elected, it’s going to be a bloodbath ... It’s going to be a bloodbath for the country,” Trump said.
After Trump’s “bloodbath” comment triggered a row, his campaign stressed that he was not referring to violence across the country. It said that Trump was only talking about the destruction of the auto industry.
Biden, on being asked if the assassination attempt on Trump could affect the “trajectory” of the 2024 race, said, “I don’t know, and you don’t know either.”
Joe Biden says his ‘mental acuity’s been pretty damn good’
Biden addressed concerns about his age, saying his “mental acuity’s been pretty damn good.” “I’m old,” Biden said. “But I’m only three years older than Trump, No. 1. And No. 2, my mental acuity’s been pretty damn good. I’ve gotten more done than any president has in a long, long time in 3½ years. So I’m willing to be judged on that.”
“I understand. I understand why people say, 'God, he’s 81 years old. Whoa. What’s he gonna be when he’s 83 years old, or 84 years?' It’s a legitimate question to as," he added.
Joe Biden repeatedly scolds Lester Holt
Throughout the interview, Biden repeatedly snapped at Holt. Biden was visibly not pleased when he was asked about his disastrous presidential debate performance, and about criticism of him from JD Vance, Trump’s running mate.
“Are you seeing what [viewers] saw, which was moments of frankly, that appeared to be — you appeared to be confused?” Holt asked Biden.
“Lester, look, why don’t you guys ever talk about the 18, the 28 lies he told? Where are you on this? Why didn’t the press ever talk about that? Twenty-eight times it’s confirmed he lied in that debate,” Biden shot back.
“Seriously, you won’t answer the question, but why didn’t the press talk about all the lies he told? I haven’t heard anything about that,” he added.
“We have reported many of the issues,” Holt said in protest, with Biden snapping, “No you haven’t! No you haven’t! God love you.”
When Biden pointed out that Vance had criticised Trump in 2016, Holt said, “Well, he said something about you.”
“He said some things about me, but see what he said about Trump. What’s up with you guys? Come on, man,” Biden snapped.
Biden also said during the interview that it is an “open question” whether the Secret Service failed to protect Trump, while stressing that he trusted them. “I feel safe with the Secret Service,” he said.
“Should they have anticipated what happened? … That’s an open question,” he added.
Biden concluded, “Sometimes come and talk to me about what we should be talking about. Okay? The issues.”
“Always happy to talk,” Holt replied.