Joe Biden admits it was a ‘mistake’ to discuss putting Donald Trump in ‘the Bullseye’ days before assassination attempt

JOE Biden has admitted it was a mistake to discuss putting Donald Trump "in the bullseye" just days before an attempted assassination on the former president.

In an interview with NBC's Lester Holt on Monday, Biden stressed he was referring to the level of focus on Trump's agenda at the time, insisting there was not enough.

President Joe Biden sat down with NBC's Lester Holt on Monday where he said he regrets using the word 'bullseye' when referring to focusing on Trump's policiesCredit: NBC

However, the president defended his statement, saying in hindsight he regrets using the word "bullseye" after Saturday's attempted assassination of Donald Trump.

But Biden stresses his message remains the same.

"What I was talking about at the time was there is very little focus on Trump's agenda." the president told Holt.

"I didn't mean crosshairs or bullseye," Biden explained.

"I meant to focus on him, focus on what he is doing, focus on his policies, focus on the number of lies he told at the debate, there is a whole range of things," Biden said.

"I'm not the guy who said I want to be a dictator on day one, I'm not the guy who refused to accept the outcome of the election," he continued.

When asked if he feels there is anything he has said in the past that may have "incited" people, Biden again defended his past statements.

"I'm not engaged in that rhetoric," he said.

"How do you talk about the threat to democracy, which is real, when a president says the things that he says," Biden asked Holt.

"Do you just not say because it may incite somebody?"

Biden then attacked Trump, saying the former is actively engaged in that type of rhetoric, citing past statements from Trump such as the country turning into a "bloodbath" if he were to lose the upcoming election.

“Now if I don’t get elected, it’s going to be a bloodbath for the country, that will be the least of it," Trump said at an Ohio rally in March.

“If this election isn’t won, I’m not sure that you’ll ever have another election in this country," Trump added.

Biden attacked this statement and others, such as Trump promising to pardon all those found guilty of crimes involving January 6, and even when Trump made jokes about Nancy Pelosi's husband being attacked with a hammer.

Biden said he believes these statements are examples of Trump and his use of real violent rhetoric that is actually responsible for the turmoil this election cycle.

'WE MUST STAND TOGETHER'

On Sunday, both Trump and Biden called for unity within the country after Saturday's attempt on Trump's life.

In only his third speech given from the Oval Office, Biden spoke to the American people on Sunday in a 9-minute speech calling for peace.

"My fellow Americans, I want to speak to you tonight about the need for us to lower the temperature in our politics," Biden said.

"Do remember, while we may disagree, we are not enemies. We’re neighbors, we’re friends, coworkers, citizens, and most importantly, we are fellow Americans. We must stand together."

“Disagreement is inevitable in American democracy,” Biden continued.

Differing opinions aside, the president said politics should never turn into "a killing field."

The president also paid tribute to Corey Comperatore, a former fire chief for Buffalo Township, who was killed by the gunfire aimed at Trump while using his body to protect his daughter from the shots.

"He was a father, protecting his family from the bullets that were being fired," Biden said, adding he is praying for the two others injured.

"An assassination attempt is contrary to everything we stand for as a nation - everything," Biden said.

"Unity is the most elusive goal of all, but nothing is more important than that right now," Biden continued.

"We will debate and will disagree, that's not going to change. But we're not going to lose sight in fact who we are as Americans."

And in Trump's first interview since his brush with death, the former president hinted at a possible change in approach for the next four months leading up to the election.

“I’m not supposed to be here, I’m supposed to be dead,” Trump told The New York Post Sunday night.

“I had all prepared an extremely tough speech, really good, all about the corrupt, horrible administration,” he told The Post about a speech he had prepared for this week's Republican National Convention.

“But I threw it away," Trump, who was officially named the Republican Party's nominee, said on Monday.

Trump said he is reworking his speech in an attempt "to try to unite the country."

"I don’t know if that’s possible," he said.

"People are very divided.”