In an attempt to allay concerns about his mental health and age ahead of the November presidential election, President Biden held a roughly hour-long press conference on Thursday night to answer several questions from reporters.
“I’m committed to running,” Biden declared Thursday night in a solo news conference that lasted about 58 minutes.
Biden’s press conference, dubbed the president’s “big boy press conference” by the media and repeated by the White House, was a highly significant public event given growing calls this week among voters and traditional Democratic supporters that Biden’s mental capacity and age could or should prevent him from getting re-elected. The press conference came after Biden hosted NATO leaders in Washington DC to mark the 75th anniversary of NATO’s founding.
“Am I getting the job done? Can you name someone who’s passed more significant legislation than me in three and a half years? I created 2,000 jobs just last week. So if I slow down, I’m not getting the job done,” Biden told media about staying on the campaign trail. “That would be a sign that I shouldn’t. But there’s no sign of that yet. None at all.”
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US President Joe Biden speaks at a press conference during the NATO Summit in Washington, DC, USA, Thursday, July 11, 2024. (Getty Images)
The press conference was marked by several gaffes from the president, including appearing to confuse Vice President Kamala Harris with former President Donald Trump, holding up a list of designated reporters and repeatedly saying “anyway” while uttering certain thoughts.
“Look, I would not have chosen Vice President Trump as my vice president. [if I thought] “She is unfit to be president,” Biden said, appearing unaware of his mistake.
Conservatives slammed the news conference as another disaster for the president, while some Democrats and allies of the administration defended it as a very strong performance.
“Frankly, this is a very powerful performance. @POTUS delivered a master class in how foreign and domestic policy intersect, and explained how important U.S. global leadership is to people at home. Well done, Mr. President,” Democratic strategist Joel Rubin posted on X.
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Other Democrats echoed Rubin’s sentiments, arguing that Biden responded forcefully to a barrage of questions from the media about his NATO-related foreign policy and intellectual acuity.
Conservatives, on the other hand, overwhelmingly panned the press conference, citing several of the president’s gaffes.
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Biden told a news conference that he disagreed with calls for him to step down and hand the reins over to his vice president, but said Harris could fulfill the role of president.
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“First of all, how she’s handled the issue of women’s physical freedom. Secondly, her ability to handle just about every issue on the committee. She’s been a fantastic prosecutor. She’s a first-rate person and she’s been really good in the Senate,” Biden said.
“I wouldn’t have chosen her if I didn’t believe she was qualified to be president. I haven’t made any secret of that. She is qualified to be president. That’s why I chose her,” Biden said.
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US President Joe Biden speaks at a press conference during the NATO Summit in Washington, DC, USA, Thursday, July 11, 2024. (Getty Images)
Biden’s press conference came after a gaffe earlier in the day in which he confused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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“And now I want to turn it over to the president of Ukraine, who has the determination and the courage to do just that,” Biden said. “Ladies and gentlemen, President Putin.”
Biden quickly corrected himself, saying, “President Putin? We’re going to defeat President Putin, President Zelensky. I’m focused on defeating Putin, so we have to worry about that.”
“I feel better,” Zelensky replied.
“You’re much better,” Biden responded.
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Concerns about Biden’s health and mental state have reached a fever pitch this summer, with some Democrats calling for him to drop out of the presidential race. Disastrous debate against Trump Biden has rejected calls to withdraw and vowed to remain in the race, and his campaign and White House have been increasing his number of public events to ease concerns that the president may not have the energy to serve another four years in office.
