A recent interview with President Joe Biden, conducted by NBC News anchor Lester Holt on July 15, 2024, resulted in a fiery exchange as the president defended his actions and remarks amidst rising political discord and security worries.
The unedited interview, broadcasted during primetime, explored a variety of subjects. These included the recent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump and the president’s use of strong language.
During the discussion, Biden displayed visible annoyance when Holt questioned his performance and remarks about Trump during the debate. “Lester, look, why don’t you guys ever talk about … the 28 lies [Trump] told? Where are you on this?” Biden retorted. Despite Holt’s continued questioning about Biden’s alleged confusion during the debate, Biden repeated his grievance about the media’s lack of coverage of Trump’s falsehoods.
As the conversation shifted to Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, Biden criticized Vance for his previous remarks about Trump, pointing out Vance’s past disparagement of Trump. In 2016, Vance stated, “I go back and forth between thinking Trump is a cynical a–hole like Nixon who wouldn’t be that bad (and might even prove useful) or that he’s America’s Hitler.”
Biden stated he wasn’t surprised by Trump’s selection of Vance, 39, as his running mate. He reasoned that it was typical for Trump to associate himself with individuals who wholly agreed with him. Later, Biden described Vance to reporters as a duplicate of Trump in terms of policy views.
Biden also defended his use of the term “bullseye” in reference to Trump, insisting it was intended to draw attention to Trump’s policies, not to incite violence. “It was a mistake to use the word — I didn’t say crosshairs, I meant bull’s-eye, I meant focus on him, focus on what he’s doing,” Biden explained.
Holt pushed Biden on his call for Americans to “lower the temperature” in the wake of the assassination attempt, observing that Biden’s sustained critique of Trump seemed contradictory. “This doesn’t sound like you’re turning down the heat, though,” Holt pointed out.
The interview also touched on the role of the Secret Service during the security breach that occurred during Trump’s attempted assassination. While expressing confidence in the agency, Biden did acknowledge certain questions about their performance. He voiced his sense of safety with them but questioned whether they should have foreseen the incident.
Biden rejected suggestions of mental confusion, affirming his competency to serve. “I’m on the horse, where have you been? I’ve done 22 major events … I’m on the horse, what I’m doing is going out and demonstrating to the American people that I’m in command of all my faculties,” he stated, also noting that Trump is only three years his junior.
On July 21, 2024, President Joe Biden revealed his decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race, as reported by numerous news outlets. In his message to the American public, he expressed his support for Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor. This declaration followed rising worries regarding his mental capabilities. Biden’s choice has thrown the race into uncertainty, likely changing the path of the 2024 presidential election.
