- Author, Christel Hayes
- Role, BBC news
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US President Joe Biden has said it was a mistake to say “time to target Trump”, days before the attempted assassination of his election rival on Saturday.
Biden made the comments in his first interview since the incident, in which he defended his rhetoric against Donald Trump and explained why it was important.
The president told NBC’s Lester Holt that it was his campaign duty to clearly communicate the threat of a second Trump term, adding that he should not temper his words.
Biden said he meant Democrats should focus more on Trump, his policies and the false statements he made during the presidential debate late last month.
“It was a mistake to use the word. I didn’t say crosshairs. I meant bullseye, I meant focus on him. Focus on what he’s doing,” he said.
During the interview, Biden made it clear that he is not withdrawing from the presidential race, despite calls from members of his own party after his poor performance in the debates.
“I’m old,” he lamented, while also noting that he is only three years older than Trump. He said his mental acuity was fine and listed his accomplishments as president — but acknowledged that he was working to reassure Americans that he was up to the job.
“I understand why people say, ‘God, he’s 81 years old. Wow. What’s he going to be when he’s 83, 84?’ It’s a legitimate question to ask,” he said.
He said he put his trust in the voters who overwhelmingly supported him in the Democratic primary. “I listen to them.”
The attack killed one bystander and seriously injured two others.
About a dozen Republicans have blamed Mr. Biden and other Democrats for inciting the attempt on Mr. Trump’s life. Many have specifically cited Mr. Biden’s “bullseye” remark.
JD Vance, who was announced as Trump’s running mate for president on Monday, said after the shooting that Democratic rhetoric about the Republican candidate “directly led to the attempted assassination of President Trump.”
According to Politico, Biden said during a private donation call: “I have one job, and that is to defeat Donald Trump. I know absolutely that I am the best person to do that. So, we’re done talking about the debate. It’s time to get our sights on Trump.”
President Biden condemned the attack in a speech from the Oval Office on Sunday, calling on Americans to “step back.” He warned that “the political rhetoric in this country has become very heated.”
When asked in the NBC interview whether he had taken a step back to examine his past statements for anything “that might incite people who are not balanced,” Biden said the inflammatory rhetoric did not come from him.
“I didn’t engage in that rhetoric,” Biden said. “Now my opponent is engaging in that rhetoric.
“How do you talk about the threat to democracy, which is real, when a president says the things he says? Do you just say nothing, because it might incite someone?
“I’m not the guy who said on day one that he wanted to be a dictator, and I’m not the guy who refused to accept the election results.”
The FBI has identified the gunman who targeted Trump as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, a kitchen worker from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, who is a registered Republican.
A Secret Service sniper shot Crooks dead after he fired at the former president.
Correction: An earlier headline in this story stated that Mr. Biden said he regretted calling Donald Trump a threat to democracy. This was incorrect, and the headline has been updated.