US President Joe Biden acknowledged it was a mistake to say “time to put Trump in a bullseye” in the days leading up to the assassination attempt on his political rival.
Mr. Biden made these remarks during his first interview since the incident, where he defended his rhetoric against Donald Trump and explained its importance.
Speaking to NBC’s Lester Holt, the president emphasized that his campaign had a responsibility to highlight the threat posed by a potential second Trump term, asserting that it was not his remarks that required restraint.
Mr. Biden clarified that his intention was for Democrats to concentrate more on Trump, his policies, and the falsehoods he propagated during the recent presidential debate.
Throughout the interview, Mr. Biden reiterated his determination to remain in the presidential race, despite internal party calls for him to step aside following his lackluster debate performance.
“I’m old,” he lamented, while also noting he’s only three years older than Trump. He said his mental acuity was fine and listed his accomplishments as president – but acknowledged he was working to reaffirm to Americans that he was up the job.
“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,” he said.
He expressed his trust in the voters who overwhelmingly supported him during the Democratic primary, stating, “I listen to them.”
Since the shooting incident on Saturday, where Trump narrowly escaped injury from a bullet grazing his ear, the president has consistently urged Americans to “lower the temperature”.
One individual in the crowd was killed, and two others sustained critical injuries in the attack.
Around a dozen Republicans have attributed blame to Mr. Biden and other Democrats for allegedly provoking the attempt on Trump’s life. Many specifically referenced Mr. Biden’s “bullseye” remark.
Following the shooting, JD Vance, who was introduced as Trump’s vice-presidential running mate on Monday, asserted that Democratic rhetoric concerning the Republican candidate directly contributed to the attempted assassination.
According to Politico, Mr. Biden had remarked in a private call with donors, “I have one job, and that’s to defeat Donald Trump. I’m absolutely confident that I’m the best person to accomplish that. So, we’re done talking about the debate. It’s time to target Trump.”
In an Oval Office address on Sunday, President Biden condemned the attack and called on Americans to “take a step back”, cautioning that “political rhetoric in this country has become very heated”.
During the NBC interview, when asked whether he had personally reflected on his previous statements to identify anything “that could provoke unbalanced individuals”, Mr. Biden asserted that such inflammatory rhetoric did not originate from him.
“I’ve not engaged in that rhetoric,” Mr 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 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.