Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has said he regrets calling President Donald Trump a “clown” during the first presidential debate, which was marked by angry interruptions and bitter accusations.
“I should have said, this is a clown company, rather than calling it a clown,” Biden said in response to a question at a town hall hosted by NBC News in Miami, Florida.
During the first of three presidential debates in Cleveland last week, Biden called Trump a “liar” and a “clown,” as the two candidates fiercely clashed over a number of issues, including racism, the economy and the climate. . “It was an ugly debate. And it hit some lows. You called him a clown, dummy. You told him to shut up. I think most people think the president interrupted you. But it seemed to go against the language he’s spoken about not being divisive. Do you regret something on your part? Biden was asked Monday night in Miami.
“He did,” Biden replied. “I was trying to figure out how I could get him to respect the debate, respect the evening, respect the moderator and give us a chance to speak. The only thing that was absolutely clear is that he did not want to answer any questions. I didn’t want to talk about substance, ”Biden said, explaining the reasons for using the word clown for Trump.
“If you notice, not once in your memory did he offer a substantive response or criticism related to a policy issue. Everything was invective. It was all personal. It was all the things that had nothing to do with whether you are going to change these people’s lives for the better. And I was very frustrated, ”Biden said, adding that he used the word out of frustration.
“But the fact is… I’ll be very honest with you. I think it was embarrassing for the nation to see the President of the United States just bullying the way he did, and it was all about a personal attack, “Biden said. Biden and Trump are scheduled to face two more presidential debates later this month.
Top Republican leaders had criticized Biden for calling Trump a clown. “The real concern I had, when you saw Joe Biden, that is, the way he handled him, was referring to you, quiet man and clown. I was more concerned with the low blows than even talking about the concerns we have with China, with the virus, with really putting the business and the economy on the right track, “said House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. , to Fox Business in an interview.
Biden said during the Miami city hall that “it was very difficult.” “I didn’t want to further degrade the debate process by getting into a shouting match with him, for one thing. And I tried really hard, if you noticed, to look at the camera and answer the questions directly, but they kept getting hit, ”he said.
“I hope this next meeting we have is called a debate, but we are supposedly going to have a meeting in the city, but I hope that we at least have a chance to hear the question and answer it directly, before there is an interruption. But, like I told the president, not here, not tonight, not me. I’m not going to take it, ”Biden said.
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