US President Joe Biden said it was wrong to say Donald Trump should be put “in the crosshairs” but defended his description of his Republican rival as a threat to democracy.
In his first television interview since Trump narrowly survived an assassination attempt, Biden said comments he made on a private call with donors were intended to put a spotlight on his rival's policies and character.
“It was a mistake to use that word. I didn’t say ‘sight.’ I meant ‘center of focus,’ focus on him, focus on what he’s doing,” Biden said in an interview with NBC News’ Lester Holt on Monday.
“Focus on his policies, focus on the number of lies he told in the debate.”
Asked if he had done any “soul searching” about his rhetoric since the assassination attempt on Trump, Biden said it was appropriate to highlight the dangers Trump poses and denied using incendiary language like his rival.
“Look, how do you talk about the threat to democracy, which is real, when a president says things like the ones he says? Do you say nothing because it might incite someone?” Biden asked.
“Look, I haven’t resorted to that rhetoric. Now, my opponent has. He says there will be a bloodbath if he loses.”
Biden's comments came after several prominent Republicans, including Trump's vice presidential running mate DJ Vance, accused the president and his allies of creating the conditions for violence through their rhetoric portraying Trump as an existential threat to democracy.
Biden, who has made preserving American democracy a key message of his re-election campaign, temporarily suspended television ads and an appearance in Texas following the attack but will resume campaigning with several events this week in the key state of Nevada.
Trump came within inches of death on Saturday after a gunman opened fire at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, wounding the former president in the right ear.
Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old former fire chief, was killed and several others were injured in the attack.
Authorities have not yet identified a motive for the suspected shooter, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, who was shot and killed shortly after opening fire.
The assassination attempt has sparked widespread calls for a reset in the embattled US politics, with both Biden and Trump calling on Americans to put aside political divisions and come together.
Biden on Sunday called on Americans to “lower the temperature on our politics,” while Trump said in a newspaper interview that he would rewrite his speech to the Republican National Committee to emphasize the need for unity.
Republican Party Chairman Michael Whatley continued the theme of unity at the opening of the Republican National Convention on Monday, telling supporters: “We must come together as a party and we must come together as a nation.”
Trump made his first public appearance since the attack at the Republican National Convention later Monday, receiving a rapturous reception from supporters as he entered Fiserv Forum to the sounds of “God Bless America.”
While the impact of the attack on Trump on the race remains unclear, some analysts have suggested it is likely to strengthen his position in the polls, which already show Biden trailing, both nationally and in key states.
In his interview with NBC News, Biden, 81, reiterated his determination to stay in the race despite concerns about his age and fitness, which came to light after his poor performance in the debate against Trump last month.
Asked whether he believed he had resisted calls to resign within his own party, Biden said 14 million Democratic voters had chosen him as their nominee.
“I hear you,” Biden said.
Asked who he would listen to about the decision to stay in the race, Biden replied:
“The idea that I’m the old guy… I am, I’m old. But first of all, I’m only three years older than Trump,” he said.
“And secondly, my mental acuity has been pretty good. I’ve accomplished more than any other president in a long, long time in three and a half years.”
