President Joe Biden expressed regret over his use of the term “bullseye” when describing former President Donald Trump.
In an interview with NBC News’s Lester Holt, Biden stressed that he wasn’t speaking literally and only meant to focus attention on Trump. His use of the word was scrutinized following the attempted assassination of Trump on Saturday, and it resulted in his backtracking.
“It was a mistake to use the word,” he said.
In an exclusive interview with Lester Holt, President Biden said it was a mistake to use the word “bullseye” while discussing former President Trump, but said to “focus on what [Trump is] doing”. pic.twitter.com/TufdyiZq8v
— NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt (@NBCNightlyNews) July 15, 2024
However, Biden declined to say he had done “soul-searching” following the attempt, arguing that it was instead Trump who has used violent rhetoric.
The president still defended himself, arguing that he wanted voters to put Trump’s “agenda” in the crosshairs.
“I have not engaged in that rhetoric. Now, my opponent has engaged in that rhetoric,” Biden said of Trump. “He talks about how it would be a bloodbath if he loses, talking about how he’s going to forgive all the — I guess suspend the sentences of all those who were arrested and sentenced to go to jail because of what happened in the Capitol.”
Earlier on Monday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre repeatedly stopped short of saying that Biden regretted any of his past rhetoric on Trump.
“We believe it is important to continue to forcefully speak against violence anytime because that is what the president believes, and we do not want to politicize this. Politicizing this moment is unacceptable,” she told reporters during one exchange when the topic of the president’s choice of words was raised.
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“There are differences in our agenda, and what Republicans believe, right? There are differences and that is OK, and it is OK to speak to someone’s record with someone’s character,” Jean-Pierre continued. “We cannot accept violence. We cannot accept that, and so the president’s going to continue to do that, highlight his agenda.”
Biden campaign officials similarly gave elusive answers when questioned on a background call about whether the president planned on recalibrating any of his campaign language regarding Trump and new running mate Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH).