Biden condemned the attack as "sick". He called Trump to let him know he and the first lady were praying for him. Then, on Sunday, Biden addressed the nation from the Oval Office, pleading with Americans in a heartfelt speech to "lower the temperature".
The moment played to Biden's strengths as a compassionate leader determined to overcome political tribalism. But on Monday, Biden faced many of the same doubts and weaknesses that have dogged his reelection campaign since the start.
"I'm old," Biden conceded in an interview with NBC News's Lester Holt, that took place and aired on Monday. "But I'm only three years older than Trump, number one. And number two, my mental acuity has been pretty damn good. I've gotten more done than any president has in a long, long time ... I'm willing to be judged on that."
But many of Biden's verbal miscues and stumbles remain.
This story is from the July 19, 2024 edition of The Guardian Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the July 19, 2024 edition of The Guardian Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
FROM DOCTOR TO BRUTAL DICTATOR THE RISE AND FALL OF ASSAD
0N THE FACE OF IT AT LEAST, the Bashar al-Assad of 2002 presented a starkly different figure from the brutal autocrat he would become, presiding over a fragile state founded on torture, imprisonment and industrial murder.
What fresh alternatives can be used to placate coriander haters?
Everyone knows a hater of coriander - also known as cilantro - who won't go near the stuff. Itamar Srulovich, however, is not one: \"I adore fresh coriander, and always have,\" says the chef/co-owner of the Honey & Co group in London.
Farage is lying in wait.Britain cannot afford to see Starmer fail Jonathan Freedland
This government must not fail. Let's get that clear from the start. If Keir Starmer does not succeed, too many British voters will conclude that both the traditional parties, Labour and Conservative, have proved useless and that it is time to try something else with that something else being nationalist populism.
Compromise may be Macron's only hope of restoring confidence Paul Taylor
Having failed to solve France's political crisis with a prime minister dependent on the far right, President Emmanuel Macron is exploring a deal with the Socialist party (PS) to give the country a new government, pass an overdue budget and avert financial turmoil.
It's a sad story for us all that fewer children are reading for pleasure Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett
On the shelf in my son's bedroom is a row of picture books that once belonged to me.
'Gun control is dead, and we killed it'
Blueprints for 3D-printed weapons are increasingly being used by far-right extremists to evade gun control laws. So what can be done?
Help support the victims of conflict in a volatile world
When we came to choose the theme of our 2024 charity appeal, we quickly realised it would be impossible to ignore that this has been an especially harrowing year of conflict, war and human suffering.
Ring master The Trump circus is already back in town
The grand reopening of Notre Dame cathedral in Paris last Saturday was attended by around 50 heads of state and government.
Object lessons Behind the scenes of a museum's grand reserves
A tour of the newarchive collection of London's Science Museum andits associates reveals a cornucopia of wonders and treasures
Double takes The rise of the celebrity lookalike competition
When Miles Mitchell's friends saw fliers scattered across New York City last month advertising a Timothée Chalamet lookalike competition, they urged the 21-yearold college senior from Staten Island to enter.
