Trump rejects Joe Biden's accusation that he is a ‘bully’

US President Donald Trump has responded to former Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden calling Trump a “bully” and saying he once dealt with such a bully by “smacking” him.

In an interview with CNN on Friday, Biden said he is not intimidated by Trump and tried to reassure Democrats concerned about his ability to stand up to the Republican president.

"The idea that I'd be intimidated by Donald Trump," Biden told CNN anchor Chris Cuomo, with a look that suggested that notion would be foolish.

“He’s the bully that I’ve always stood up to,” he added. “He’s the bully that used to make fun when I was a kid, that I stutter – and I’d smack him in the mouth.”

Trump told reporters at the White House that he doesn’t agree with Biden’s assessment.

“I don’t think I’m a bully at all. I just don’t like being taken advantage of by other countries, by pharmaceutical companies, by all of the people that have taken advantage of this country,” he said.

Trump also criticized Biden over his relationship with China during the administration of former President Barack Obama.

“You look at what Joe Biden has done with China, we’ve lost our shirts with China, and now China is dying to make a deal,” Trump said.

“We’re taking, by the way, billions and billions of dollars in tariffs are coming in and China’s paying for it, not our people. So if you look at what he’s done, and if you look at what we’ve straightened out—I call it the Obama-Biden mess.”

Trump and Biden have been lambasting each other since the former vice president and US senator from Delaware entered the presidential race earlier this year.

PressTV-‘I’d smack him in the mouth,’ Biden taunts Trump

Former US Vice President Joe Biden, a Democratic 2020 candidate, says President Donald Trump is “the bully that I’ve always stood up to.”

Biden is still the front-runner in the Democratic presidential race, but he is falling behind in polls.

New surveys show his lead narrowing nationally after a wobbly performance in last week’s first Democratic presidential debate.

The tepid debate performance inspired little confidence among many Democrats who are evaluating which Democratic candidate is best equipped to challenge Trump in the 2020 election.

“The debate changed things for me quite a bit,” said Sheldon Ohringer, 62, a Democrat from West Des Moines, Iowa, who had been leaning toward Biden but is now considering several other candidates.

“I was really surprised Biden wasn’t prepared for some of those attacks. He didn’t handle it,” he said.

His weak performance at the debate also reinforced persistent questions about one of Biden’s biggest vulnerabilities — whether at age 76 he is too old for the White House competition.

A national Reuters/Ipsos poll also found Biden still ahead, but his support was down 8 percentage points from a similar poll earlier in June. Among blacks, support for Biden was cut in half.

A CNN national poll showed Biden’s support dropping 10 points since May.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk