WASHINGTON – US President Joe Biden has said it was a mistake for him to say “time to put Trump in a bullseye”, days before Saturday’s assassination attempt on his election rival.

Mr Biden’s remarks came in his first interview since the incident, in which he defended his rhetoric against Donald Trump and cited why it was important. The president told NBC’s Lester Holt his campaign had a duty to clearly communicate the threat of a second Trump term, adding that his words were not the ones that needed to be tempered.

After a brief pause following Saturday’s attack, presidential campaign events now appear to be back under way. Mr Biden is set to speak at the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) convention in Las Vegas. Trump made his first appearance at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee last Monday, to a rapturous welcome.

During his NBC interview, Mr Biden described a phone call with Trump following the attempted assassination as “very cordial”. “I told him he was literally in the prayers of Jill and me, and his whole family was weathering this,” he said. When pressed on his “bullseye” comments, Mr Biden said: “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 he meant Democrats needed to look at Trump, his policies and the false statements he made during the presidential debate late last month. According to Politico, Mr Biden had said on a private donor call: “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.”

Throughout the interview, Mr Biden made it clear he would not be stepping aside in the presidential race – despite calls from members of his own party after his poor 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 to 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. About a dozen Republicans have blamed Mr Biden and other Democrats for inciting the attempt on Trump’s life. Many have specifically cited the “bullseye” comment.  (BBC)

Photo: US President Joe Biden. (NBC) …[+]