Biden says toning down divisive rhetoric doesn't mean he’ll stop 'telling the truth' about Trump

By Rabia Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) – US President Joe Biden, in his first campaign speech since an assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump, repeated his call to “lower the temperature” in politics but noted that this “doesn’t mean we should stop telling the truth.”

“Just because we must lower the temperature in our politics as it relates to violence doesn’t mean we should stop telling the truth,” Biden said Tuesday while addressing a National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) convention in Las Vegas and went on to criticize Trump for his policies concerning Black Americans.

Recalling Saturday's assassination attempt against Trump, Biden said he was "grateful" that the former president was not seriously wounded, sending him and his family prayers.

"It's time for an important conversation in this country. Our politics have become too heated. I said in the Oval Office on Sunday night, as I’ve made clear throughout my presidency, that we all have a responsibility to lower the temperature and condemn violence in any form. We’ve gotta remember -- in America, we’re not enemies. We’re friends. We’re neighbors. We’re fellow Americans," he said.

However, he later went on to criticize Trump for his track record on the economy, health care, gun violence and many other issues.

He said Trump's presidency was "hell" for Black Americans and accused him of repealing Obamacare and kicking millions of Black Americans off health insurance.

"Violence is not the answer," Biden said, adding he stands against all forms of violence, including against Black Americans like George Floyd, who was killed on May 25, 2020 by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who kneeled on his neck for nearly 10 minutes until he died.

"More children in America die of a gunshot wound than any other reason. That’s stunning and that is sickening," Biden said.

"If you want to stand against violence in America, then join me in getting these weapons of war off the streets of America. An AR-15 was used in the shooting of Donald Trump…It's time to outlaw them," he added.