US President Joe Biden has admitted that it was a mistake to use the phrase “time to put Trump in a bullseye” just days before an assassination attempt on his election rival, Donald Trump.
In his first interview since the incident, President Biden spoke to NBC’s Lester Holt, defending his rhetoric against Trump while stressing the importance of highlighting the potential threats of a second Trump term. Biden emphasized that his intention was to urge Democrats to focus more on Trump, his policies, and the false statements made during the recent presidential debate.
During the interview, Biden firmly stated he would not step aside in the presidential race, despite criticism from within his own party following his lackluster debate performance. He acknowledged concerns about his age, noting that he is only three years older than Trump and affirming his mental fitness by listing his accomplishments as president.
“I understand why people say, ‘God, he’s 81 years old. Whoa. What’s he going to be when he’s 83 years old, 84 years?’ It’s a legitimate question to ask,” Biden said. He expressed confidence in the voters who supported him in the Democratic primary, saying, “I listen to them.”
The president has repeatedly called for a reduction in political tensions since the shooting incident on Saturday, in which Trump was grazed by a bullet. The attack resulted in one death and two critical injuries among the crowd. About a dozen Republicans have blamed Biden and other Democrats for inciting the assassination attempt, specifically citing Biden’s “bullseye” comment.
J.D. Vance, Trump’s newly announced running mate, attributed the shooting to Democratic rhetoric about the Republican candidate, stating that it “led directly to President Trump’s attempted assassination.”
In a private donor call, Biden reportedly said, “I have one job, and that’s to beat Donald Trump. I’m absolutely certain I’m the best person to be able to do that. So, we’re done talking about the debate. It’s time to put Trump in a bullseye.”
In an Oval Office address on Sunday, Biden condemned the attack and called for Americans to “take a step back,” warning that “political rhetoric in this country has gotten very heated.”
When asked in the NBC interview if he had considered his own past remarks for potential incitement, Biden denied engaging in inflammatory rhetoric, pointing instead to his opponent.
“I’ve not engaged in that rhetoric,” Biden said. “Now, my opponent is engaged in that rhetoric.”
“How do you talk about the threat to democracy, which is real, when a president says things like he says? Do you just not say anything, because it may incite somebody?”
“I am not the guy that said I want to be a dictator on day one, I am not the guy that refused to accept the outcome of the election.”
The FBI identified the gunman as Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old kitchen worker from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, and a registered Republican. Crooks was shot dead by a Secret Service sniper after he fired at the former president.
