President Biden held a key solo news conference Thursday night, doubling down on his earlier pledge to stay in the race, but he made several gaffes, including stuttering and using the phrase “anyway” at least nine times.
“I’ve got to pace myself a lot more. The next debate, I’m not going to be traveling 15 time zones a week before. That was the goal anyway,” Biden said after being questioned by media about reports that he had to go to bed earlier that day.
“That’s what it is. Now, having said that, I love my staff, but they always add stuff. My wife gives me a blast because of it. Anyway,” he continued, using the phrase “anyway.”
According to a transcript of the press conference, Biden said “Anyway” at least nine times during the roughly 58-minute press conference, sparking jokes on social media about the “Anyway drinking game.”
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Biden’s news conference came amid growing concern that he may not be mentally capable of staying in the Oval Office for the next four years, including from 17 Democratic lawmakers who have called on him to drop out of the race as he prepares to face former President Donald Trump in November.
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President Joe Biden speaks at a press conference during the NATO Summit in Washington, DC, USA, Thursday, July 11, 2024. (Graham Sloane/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“Joe Biden’s record in public office is unmatched,” Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said at the X after a news conference. “His accomplishments are immeasurable. His legacy as a great president is secured.”
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“Donald Trump must not jeopardize his legacy, his record, and American democracy to confront the horrors he promised,” Himes continued.
Conservatives took to social media to criticize Biden throughout the event for a number of gaffes, including holding up a list of reporters he was scheduled to call, appearing to confuse Vice President Kamala Harris with former President Donald Trump and repeatedly saying “anyway.”
“This NATO press conference with Biden is another disaster. It is baffling that those advising this man continue to think he will not embarrass himself and this country. Why do they continue to allow this to happen?” Fox News contributor Tammy Bruce posted on X during the press conference.
But the president’s allies hailed the press conference as a success, commenting on social media that Biden’s responses to numerous questions from reporters were “strong.”
Biden held an hour-long press conference where he answered multiple questions in an attempt to ease concerns about a mental breakdown.
US President Joe Biden speaks to reporters during the NATO summit in Washington, DC, USA, Thursday, July 11, 2024. President Joe Biden and NATO’s 31 other leaders had hoped the summit would celebrate newfound unity against Russian President Vladimir Putin, issue a warning to China and prove the 75-year-old alliance is stronger than ever, but the three-day extravaganza was overshadowed by domestic turmoil across the alliance. Photo by Graham Sloane/Bloomberg via Getty Images (Getty Images)
“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.
“Tonight Joe Biden spoke at length and in detail about the major national security issues he’s addressing, while also calmly but forcefully defending his views on the state of this campaign. 50 minutes of Q&A. He needed to make a big impact tonight, and he did,” former White House communications director Kate Bedingfield posted on X.
The president again addressed concerns about his mental capacity at his press conference and staunchly defended his record in office.
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“Am I getting the job done? Can you name someone who passed a more significant bill three and a half years ago and created 2,000 jobs just last week? So if I slow down, I’m not getting the job done. That’s a sign that I shouldn’t be doing the job. But there’s no sign of that yet… none at all,” he said.
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign rally in Las Vegas on June 28, 2024. (Bizayev Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Biden also weighed in on whether Harris could become president, elaborating that he would not have chosen her as his running mate in the 2020 presidential election if he didn’t think she could.
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“First of all, how she’s handled the issue of women’s bodily freedom and her ability to control her body. Secondly, her ability to handle almost every issue in committee. She’s been a fantastic prosecutor. She’s a first-class person and she’s been really good in the Senate. I wouldn’t have picked her if I didn’t think she was qualified to be president. From the beginning. I’ve never made any secret about that. She is qualified to be president. That’s why I picked her,” he said.
Biden’s press conference came as he hosted world leaders this week to mark the 75th anniversary of the NATO defense military alliance.
