NBC News host Lester Holt asked President Joe Biden if he did “soul searching” over his heated rhetoric after the attempted assassination of Republican 2024 presidential nominee Donald Trump.
Trump was grazed in the ear by a bullet Saturday at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Despite calling for America to “lower the temperature in our politics” Sunday in a prime-time Oval Office address, Biden became defensive when pressed by Holt about rhetoric that may incite violence.
“Have you taken a step back and done a little soul-searching on things that you may have said that may incite people who are not balanced?” Holt asked.
“Well, I don’t think … 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 may incite somebody?” Biden responded.
“Look, I, I, I have not engaged in that rhetoric,” he continued. “Now, my, my, my opponent has engaged in that rhetoric. He talks about there be a bloodbath if he loses to talking about how he’s gonna forgive all the, uh, uh, [unintelligible] suspend the sentences of all those who were arrested and sentenced to go to jail because of what happened at the Capitol.”
Joe Biden just reneged on his entire Oval Office speech from last night and is now essentially saying that Donald Trump incited the violence against himself.
This is incendiary rhetoric all over again.
I’m not shocked he didn’t even last 24 hours. pic.twitter.com/ZAqSNDlBhM
— Joey Mannarino (@JoeyMannarinoUS) July 15, 2024
Trump remarked in March that there would be a “bloodbath” for the country while railing against jobs in the auto industry being offshored to other countries under the Biden administration. Democrats took his comments out of context and falsely claimed the former president was referring to what would happen if he lost the election. (RELATED: ‘I’m Supposed To Be Dead’: Donald Trump Reflects After ‘Very Surreal’ Brush With Death)
Biden repeated the “bloodbath” hoax Friday during a campaign event in Detroit. The president said Trump is “unhinged” and that “he snapped” before asserting that the Republican nominee “refuses” to say whether he’ll accept the outcome of the 2024 election.
“Trump said if he wins, he’ll be a dictator on day one. He means it, folks,” Biden told a crowd on Friday. “We’re not letting that happen. Over my dead body!”
Just watch 40 seconds from this guy’s speech yesterday. It’s insane.
The bloodbath hoax again. “Over my dead body.”
America has been subjected to five years of constant lies, hoaxes, and divisive rhetoric from this man. pic.twitter.com/vgT5ALR14l
— MAZE (@mazemoore) July 13, 2024
Biden told donors in a private call on July 8 his “one job” is to “beat Donald Trump,” saying “it’s time to put Trump in a bullseye,” Politico reported. Holt pressed Biden on his comments, which the president insisted meant to focus on what Trump “was saying.”
“Let’s talk about the conversation this has started, and it’s really about language, what we say out loud and the consequences of that,” Holt began. “You called your opponent an ‘existential threat’ on a call a week ago. You said, ‘it’s time to put Trump in a bullseye.’ There’s some dispute about the context, but I think you appreciate—”
”I didn’t say crosshairs,” Biden responded. “I was talking about focus on. Look, the truth of the matter was, what I guess I was talking about at the time was there’s very little focus on Trump’s uh, agenda”
”Yeah, the term was ‘bullseye,’” Holt corrected.
“It was a mistake to use the word,” Biden said. “I didn’t say, I didn’t mean crosshairs, I meant bullseye, I meant focus on him.”
Biden’s interview with Holt comes as the president attempts to prove his mental fitness. Democrats have increasingly pressured Biden to drop his reelection bid following his poor debate performance on June 27.
