President Joe Biden fired back at questions about his mental fitness and accused news outlets of failing to treat Donald Trump’s false statements during the debate with the same level of scrutiny.
In a Monday interview from the White House with NBC News anchor Lester Holt, the president insisted that he is in control of his faculties and committed to staying in the race against his Republican rival despite calls from voters and Democratic party officials to step aside in the aftermath of his disastrous debate performance.
Biden admitted he’s “old” and that concerns about someone his age in the White House are “legitimate.”
“But I’m only three years older than Trump, number one, and number two, my mental acuity has been pretty damn good,” he said. “I’ve gotten more done than any president has in a long time in three-and-a-half years. I’m willing to be judged on that.”
He added: “I understand why people say, ‘God, he’s 81 years old. Whoa. What’s he gonna be when he’s 83 years old, 84 years?’ It’s a legitimate question to ask.”
The interview follows an assassination attempt against Trump, who was nearly killed after a 20-year-old gunman fired into a campaign rally, sending a bullet toward Trump’s head that grazed his right ear.
Biden said he had a “very cordial” conversation by phone with Trump, and told him that the president and First Lady Jill Biden are praying for his recovery.
But Biden refused to draw an equivalency between his critical remarks of Trump’s agenda and the violent rhetoric that Trump has promoted throughout his campaign.
“How do you talk about the threat to democracy, which is real, when the president says things like he says? Do you just not say anything?” Biden said.
In a national address on Sunday night, Biden urged Americans to “lower the temperature” surrounding political rhetoric in the wake of Saturday’s shooting, and in his interview on Monday, he said he will “continue to talk about the things that matter to the American public.”
“It matters whether or not you accept the outcome of the elections,” said Biden, noting Trump’s refusal to accept the outcome of the 2020 election and his refusal to accept the outcome of the 2024 race, without conditions.
“When you say there’s nothing wrong with going to the Capitol breaking in, threatening people, cops dying, putting up a noose and gallows for the former vice president, and then somehow, you’re going to say you’re going to forgive people, pardon them?” Biden said.
Major Democratic donors and more than a dozen members of Congress have publicly called on Biden to end his re-election campaign, while his own campaign has acknowledged a shrinking path to victory on the Electoral College map. Biden has repeatedly said that he does not believe results from major polling organizations reflect his chances.
Asked by Holt who he consults when it comes to whether he will stay in the race, Biden answered: “Me.”
Holt asked him whether he plans to watch his debate performance, where he appeared “to be confused.”
“Why don’t you guys talk about the 18-20 lies he told? Where are you on this?” Biden fired back.
“I had a bad, bad night, I wasn’t feeling well at all. I screwed up,” he said.
Holt asked him again if he would consider watching the tape.
“I didn’t have to see, I was there,” Biden said, laughing. “You won’t answer my question but why won’t the press report on all the lies he told?”
Holt said his outlet has covered those remarks.
“No, you haven’t. God love you,” Biden said.
Biden also resisted attempts to characterize his campaign as stagnant, noting that he has held several rallies and appearances in the two weeks after the debate.
“I am on the horse. Where have you been?” Biden said. “A lot is happening. I’m on the horse. What I’ve been doing is going out and demonstrating to the American people that I am in control of my faculties.”