President Biden said in an interview on Monday that a child once gave him the middle finger while discussing heated political comments following the recent assassination attempt on former President Trump.
“When you drive through certain rural parts of the country, you don’t see a situation where people have big Trump signs that say ‘F Biden’ and little kids standing there giving the middle finger,” Biden said in an interview with NBC News’ Lester Holt.
“I mean, it’s just inflammatory and kind of spiteful,” he continued.
Biden’s conversation with Holt came just two days after Trump was shot and injured in the ear at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania less than 10 minutes into the event, leaving one victim and the shooter dead and two injured.
Lawmakers have called for a restraint on political rhetoric in the wake of the shooting.
Biden’s interview with NBC News was his latest indication to Democrats that he is still fit for the presidency, even as he fends off questions and concerns about his candidacy since concerns about his age and mental health were raised during the June 27 debate. Some Democrats have called for Biden to back out, but the president remains defiant and has not backed away.
Politics for the Democratic presidential nomination has ground to a halt as attention shifts to Trump and the Republican National Convention, which began on Monday.
Asked by Holt if he felt he had weathered the storm over whether he should be the presidential nominee, Biden replied, “Look, 14 million people voted for me for the Democratic nominee, OK? I’m going to listen to them.”
