Focus on Trump 'Lies,' Not My Debate Performance, Biden Says

16/7/2024 12:05

        U.S. President Joe Biden said on Monday he made a mistake when he told supporters to put rival Donald Trump in a "bullseye," but said Trump regularly employed rhetoric that was inflammatory and lied repeatedly at their debate last month.
        
        A day after urging Americans to lower the political temperature in the wake of the assassination attempt on Trump, Biden renewed his criticism of Trump's actions, from his role on Jan. 6, 2021 when his supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol, to his regular use of inflammatory and disparaging rhetoric.
        
        Pressed about his shaky debate performance on June 27 that threw his reelection hopes into doubt, Biden confronted Holt. "Where are you on this," Biden said, leaning forward. "Why doesn't the press talk about all the lies he told?"
        
        On July 8, Biden, 81, spoke to some of his biggest donors and said they needed to shift the election campaign's focus from him and his poor debate performance to Trump, the Republican nominee in the Nov. 5 election.