President Joe Biden made his first major appearance since his panic-inspiring debate performance Monday to give brief remarks on the Supreme Court’s presidential immunity decision that was released earlier in the day.
Biden spoke for five minutes, from a teleprompter, on the court finding that presidents have immunity from criminal prosecution for “official acts” taken in office. After Biden criticized the decision, calling it a “dangerous precedent,” he quickly left without taking a single question as reporters shouted inquiries his way. (RELATED: Panicked Dems Scramble For Biden Replacement After ‘Disaster’ Debate Performance)
“Mr. President, will you drop out of the race?” one reporter can be heard shouting. Another seemingly asked how he can assure Democrats that he is the best man to defeat former President Donald Trump.
“Today’s Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity that fundamentally changed for all, for all practical purposes,” Biden said. “Today’s decision almost certainly means that there are virtually no limits on the president can do this is a fundamentally new principle, and it’s a dangerous precedent, because the power of the office will no longer be constrained by the law, even including the Supreme Court of the United States, the only limits will be self imposed by the president alone.”
Biden’s Monday speech was his first major appearance since Democrats began calling for him to drop out of the presidential race. The calls began just thirty minutes after Biden took the debate stage as he stumbled through answers, gaffed and appeared confused.
Biden malfunctions, Jake Tapper saves him pic.twitter.com/oUkv5vqKeR
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) June 28, 2024
As the Biden campaign was left to do damage control, the president appeared at campaign events over the weekend and briefly addressed his debate performance to donors.
“I know I’m not a young man. I don’t walk as easy as I used to. I don’t speak as smoothly as I used to. I don’t debate as well as I used to, but I know what I do know — I know how to tell the truth” Biden said at a North Carolina rally on Friday.
The president later admitted at a Saturday rally that he knew it wasn’t his best debate and understood the “concern.”
While the president works to ease his party’s concerns, Biden and his family gathered at Camp David over the weekend to reportedly discuss his presidential bid. After the weekend, “the entire family is united” as the president’s son, Hunter Biden is pushing the hardest for his dad to stay in the race, sources close to the situation told the New York Times.
“I know I will respect the limits of the presidential powers I have for three and a half years, but any president, including Donald Trump, will now be free to ignore the law. I concur with Justice Sotomayor’s dissent today. Hears what she said: she said in every use of official power, the president is now a king above the law. With fear for our democracy, I dissent. End of quote. So should the American people dissent? I dissent,” Biden said before concluding his speech.
