President Biden suggested Tuesday that he would attend former President Trump’s inauguration if he wins in November, taking a jab at his predecessor’s manners.
When asked if he would attend a January 2025 swearing-in, Biden replied, “I have good manners, not like him.”
Trump did not attend Biden’s inauguration in January 2021 after the president beat him in the 2020 election. Biden dropped out of the 2024 race against Trump last month and later endorsed Vice President Harris, who has since become the Democratic nominee.
The president was also pressed on his calls to cool down the rhetoric in the wake of the assassination attempt on Trump last month. When asked if calling Trump a danger to American security is tempering rhetoric, the president replied, “That’s just a statement. That’s a factual statement.”
Following the shooting, Biden — who was still running for president at the time — made a prime-time speech to call for the temperature in American politics to be brought down.
Biden is set to speak at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Monday to kick off the event.
Since the move at the top of the ticket, Harris has gained momentum in national and swing-state polls and has taken the lead over Trump in the polling average kept by The Hill and Decision Desk HQ.