U.S. President Joe Biden said he made a mistake when he said “it was time to put Trump in the bullseye” just days before Saturday’s assassination attempt on his election rival.
Biden made the remarks in his first interview since the incident, in which he defended his remarks against Donald Trump and cited reasons for their importance.
The president told NBC’s Lester Holt that it was his campaign’s responsibility to clearly communicate Trump’s re-election threats, adding that his rhetoric did not need to be tempered.
After a brief pause following Saturday’s attacks, the presidential campaign now appears to be back on track.
Mr. Biden is scheduled to speak at the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) convention in Las Vegas on Tuesday.
Trump attended the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee for the first time on Monday. warm welcome.
In an interview with NBC, Biden called his phone call with Trump after the assassination attempt “very cordial.”
“I told him that Jill and I were praying for him and that his whole family was going through this,” he said.
Asked about his “bull’s-eye” remarks, Biden said: “It was a mistake to use that word. I didn’t say crosshairs. I meant bull’s-eye, I meant focus on him. Focus on what he’s doing. .
He said what he meant was that Democrats needed to look at Trump, his policies and the false statements he made during the presidential debate late last month.
Throughout the interview, Biden made clear that he would not drop out of the presidential race — despite calls from members of his own party after his poor debate performance.
“I’m old,” he lamented, noting that he was only three years older than Trump. He said his mental acuity was good and listed his accomplishments as president, but admitted he was struggling to reaffirm to Americans that he could do the job.
“I understand why people say, ‘Oh my gosh, he’s 81. Wow. What’s he going to look like when he’s 83, 84?’ That’s a legitimate question,” he said.
He said he believes in voters who overwhelmingly supported him in the Democratic primary. “I listen to them.”
The President has repeatedly called for Americans want to “cool down” Trump’s ear has been grazed by a bullet since Saturday’s shooting.
The attack left one person dead and two others seriously injured.
about Dozens of Republicans accused Biden and other Democrats incited an assassination attempt on Trump. Many cited Biden’s “bulls-eye” comment in particular.
J.D. Vance, who was announced as President Trump’s running mate on Monday, said after the shooting that Democratic rhetoric about the Republican candidate “directly led to President Trump’s assassination attempt.”
“I have a job, and that’s to defeat Donald Trump,” Biden said on a conference call with private donors, according to Politico. “I’m absolutely sure I’m the best person to do that. So, we’re done with the debate. Now, it’s time for Trump to take center stage.
Speaking from the Oval Office on Sunday, President Biden condemned the attack and called on Americans to “step back,” warning that “political rhetoric in this country has become very heated.”
When asked in the NBC interview if he had also taken a step back and looked at whether his past comments had anything that “could inflame people who are unbalanced,” Biden said the incendiary comments did not come from him.
“I didn’t make that statement,” Biden said. “Now, my opponent is making that statement.
“How do you talk about a real threat to democracy when a president says what he says? Do you just say nothing because that might incite someone?
“I’m not the person who said on day one that I wanted to be a dictator, and I’m not the person who refuses to accept the results of the election.”
The FBI has identified the shooter who targeted Trump as Thomas Matthew Crooks20 years old, a kitchen worker from Bethel Park, Pa., and a registered Republican.
A Secret Service sniper killed Crooks after he shot the former president.
Correction: An earlier headline in this story said Mr. Biden said he regretted calling Donald Trump a threat to democracy. This is incorrect, the title has been updated.
