President Joe Biden defended his controversial suggestion that Donald Trump should be “put in the bullseye” during an NBC News interview on Monday, following that comment an assassination attempt was taken out on Trump. This defense came amid heightened tensions and a politically charged atmosphere.
“It was a mistake to use the word—I didn’t mean—I didn’t say crosshairs, I said bullseye. I meant focus on him, focus on what he’s doing,” Biden clarified. “Focus on his policies, focus on the number of lies he told in the debate.”
Biden also criticized Trump for escalating political tensions in the country and dismissed Republican accusations that his own rhetoric has contributed to the coarsening of political discourse.
“Look, I’m not the guy that said I want to be a dictator on day one. I’m not the guy who refused to accept the outcome of the election,” Biden said.
This interview in which Biden defended his comment came shortly after the dramatic incident outside the Republican National Convention, where Trump survived an attempted assassination at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday. Biden’s remarks have drawn criticism from some Republicans who argue that his words could be interpreted as incitement to violence, especially given the timing of the recent shooting incident.
