It had been only 48 hours since a lone gunman had tried to assassinate former President Trump in Pennsylvania before President Biden appeared in a one-on-one sit down with veteran NBC journalist Lester Holt.
The interview had been arranged days before the assassination attempt to show skeptical members of the Democratic coalition that Biden still had the depth of focus to do a high-profile interview without aides, Tel-e-Prompters, pre-fixed prompts, or softball questions.
Biden's appearance on national TV followed his Oval Office address the previous day. During this address, he sounded truly presidential, empathetic, and like the uniter he said he would be when he campaigned in 2020. His opening remarks were spot on.
My fellow Americans. I want to speak to you tonight about the need for us to lower the temperature in our politics and to remember while we may disagree, we are not enemies; we're neighbors, we're friends, coworkers, and citizens, and most importantly, we're fellow Americans. We must stand together.
Yesterday's shooting at Donald Trump's rally in Pennsylvania calls on all of us to take a step back, take stock of where we are and how we go forward from here. Thankfully, former President Trump has not been seriously injured. I spoke with him last night, and I'm grateful he's doing well. Jill and I keep him and his family in our prayers. We also extend our deepest condolences to the families of the victims who were killed. Corey was a husband, a father, a volunteer firefighter, a hero, sheltering his family from those bullets; we should all hold his family and all those injured in our prayers.
Biden's conciliatory, statesman-like theme didn't last very long. Just 24 hours later, during the Holt interview, Biden was back to being the bitter Trump critic he has been. Biden launched into a tirade against Trump with the usual complaints—that Trump lies and instigated violence on January 6—and to the viewer, it was clear that someone in the Biden campaign had forced Biden to hit back, and Biden had agreed.
The list of charges went on and on - and became tiring. A staffer must have researched this Reuters piece from March, and Biden dutifully repeated lines from the story, including the words bloodbath and vermin.
"Now, my — my — my opponent has engaged in that rhetoric. Talks about there'd be a bloodbath if he loses."
"It matters whether or not you, for example, talk about how you're gonna deal with the border instead of talking about people as being vermin and all — I mean, those things matter. That's the kind of language that is inflammatory."
Holt pushed back: "This doesn't sound like you're — you're — you're turning down the heat, though. You — you've talked about the —"
Biden, characteristically, responded: "Oh, no, no, no, no. Look, what I'm turning down — we have to stop the whole notion that certain things are contrary to our — our democracy that we're for." And he launched into another litany of complaints against Trump for not conceding the 2020 election.
Biden also pointed out how the MAGA crowd treats him:
I've never seen a circumstance where you ride through certain rural areas of the country, and people have signs there stand — big Trump signs with — m — middle — signs saying "F Biden" and the little kid standing there putting up his middle finger.
Of course, Biden made no apologies for members of the Left saying far worse things about Trump than holding a sign.
From then onwards, Biden was angry and combative no matter whom Holt brought up, even people who have supported him. He dismissed concerns that leaders of his party—Obama, Pelosi, Clyburn—had, and insisted that he had decided to run on the top of the ticket. To justify his decision, Biden misrepresented his accomplishments.
It's essentially a toss-up race. And I think one of the arguments that get made, you have the most successful presidency of any president in modern history, maybe since Franklin Roosevelt. Passed more major legislation no one thought you could get done. Were able to put together a consensus. Were able to unite NATO. Were able to deal in f — foreign policy. Why don't you just decide to rest on that — on those laurels? And the answer is because the job's not finished.
What successful presidency? An administration that has added over $5 trillion in debt? Bidenflation upto 20%? Eighteen million illegal aliens forever changing America's landscape? Conducting lawfare against a political opponent? Routinely being rebuffed by the Supreme Court (like on student aid and environmental executive orders) and blatantly ignoring them? A $200 billion transfer of money that we don't have to corrupt Ukraine with nothing to show but defeat? Uniting NATO but losing the Global South countries (which are eager to make alliances) and jeopardizing America's global standing?
If Biden is such a successful President, why have his approval ratings been below 45% for nearly three years since October 2021?
Holt did not challenge any of these assertions, and rather than be grateful for such friendly treatment, Biden began combating Holt himself.
Biden: And by the way, seriously, you won't answer the question, but why doesn't the press talk about all the lies he told? I haven't heard —
Holt: Well, we —
Biden: — anything about that.
Holt: We — we have reported many of the issues that came of that —
Biden: No, you haven't —
Holt: — that debate.
Biden: No, you haven't.
Holt: Well, we'll provide you with them.
Biden: God love you."
The old, stubborn, combative, attacking, nasty Biden is back. And to us, it was no surprise.
Mr. President, learn to walk the talk.
