In NBC interview, Biden says he shouldn’t have said “bullseye” when referring to Trump, but says former president is the one engaged in dangerous rhetoric

In the wake of the attempted assassination of former President Trump, President Biden says he shouldn’t have used the word “bullseye” when referring to how his campaign should treat Trump, but still wants to put the focus squarely on his opponent’s record and rhetoric heading into November.

“I was talking about focus on, look, the truth of the matter was, what I guess I was talking about at the time was, there was very little focus on Trump’s agenda,” Mr. Biden told NBC News’ Lester Holt in an interview on Monday.

“It was a mistake to use the word,” the president conceded, but added, “I meant focus on him. Focus on what he’s doing.”

“I’m not the guy that said, I want to be a dictator on day one. I’m not the guy that refused to accept the outcome of the election. I’m not the guy who said they won’t accept the outcome of this election automatically,” Mr. Biden said. “You can’t only love your country when you win. And so, the focus was on what he’s saying and the idea.”

Asked if he had done any “soul searching” about his rhetoric, Mr. Biden said, “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’ve not engaged in that rhetoric,” Mr. Biden insisted. “Now, my opponent is engaged in that rhetoric. He talks about, there’ll be a bloodbath if he loses. Talking about how he’s going to forgive all the … I guess suspend the sentence of all those who were arrested and sentenced to go to jail because of what happened in the Capitol.”

Mr. Biden also criticized Trump for making light of the violent assault on Paul Pelosi, the husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. 

Mr. Biden and Trump spoke over the phone following Saturday’s attempted assassination, a conversation Mr. Biden described as “very cordial.”

“I told him how concerned I was and wanted to make sure I knew how he was actually doing,” Mr. Biden said. “He sounded good. He said he was fine and he thanked me for calling.”

Mr. Biden said he didn’t know if the attempted assassination would have any effect on the race and said his main concern was the health of Trump and the ongoing media coverage.  

Mr. Biden paused campaign activities following Saturday’s shooting, including a trip to Texas, where the president was supposed to attend a ceremony commemorating the 60th anniversary of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The president reiterated his belief that “there’s no place at all for violence in politics in America. None. Zero.”

When asked what he personally could do to help “lower down the temperature, the rhetoric out there,” Mr. Biden said he would “continue to talk about the things that matter to the American public.”

“It matters whether or not you accept the outcome of elections. It matters whether or not you, for example, talk about how you’re gonna deal with the border instead of talking about people being vermin … Those things matter.”

Mr. Biden was also asked how he felt about the classified documents case against Trump being dismissed, to which the president said he was “not surprised.”

Mr. Biden noted the ruling stemmed from Justice Clarence Thomas’ opinion in Trump’s immunity case and drew a contrast between how he and his opponent handled independent prosecutors. Mr. Biden noted he cooperated and sat for a deposition when he himself was being investigated for possible mishandling of classified documents.

Mr. Biden said he found the reasoning for dismissing the case “specious” and that he disagreed with Thomas’ reasoning and the Supreme Court’s larger ruling on presidential immunity, adding that the court justices “seem out of touch with what the founders intended.”

The conversation then turned to Mr. Biden’s debate performance and whether or not he had changed his mind about staying atop the Democratic ticket for 2024. Mr. Biden said he would continue to run as the presidential nominee.

While most polling shows Mr. Biden running behind Trump, including in battleground states, Mr. Biden insisted the polls show the race is “essentially a tossup.”

Mr. Biden said he’s watched “pieces” of his last debate against Trump and admitted again that he had a “bad, bad night” and that he “wasn’t feeling well at all … I screwed up.”

But he also fired back at Holt and the media in general, asking, “Why don’t you guys ever talk about the 28 lies he told? Where are you on this? Why doesn’t the press ever talk about that?”

The president said he understood why some people might be concerned about his age, but noted Trump is only three years younger than him. 

Finally, Mr. Biden was asked his opinion on Trump’s newly announced running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance.

“It’s not unusual. He’s gonna surround himself with people who agree completely with him,” Mr. Biden said, while also referencing Vance’s previous outspoken criticism of Trump.