Joe Biden appeared combative in the lengthy press conference he held after the conclusion of the 75th NATO summit, during which his performance was considered rather good. However, it was overshadowed by at least two monumental verbal slips, as his candidacy for a second term in November remains precarious amid doubts about his mental acuity.
As the press conference approached the one-hour mark, two more Democratic politicians urged him to step down.
The next 24 hours will determine whether Joe Biden, on the ropes after the disastrous debate with Donald Trump late last month, has simply bought some time or if he will instead overcome the dissatisfaction — if not rebellion — within his party, which continues to grow.
“I am determined to be a candidate, but I think it’s important to allay fears,” acknowledged Mr. Biden, 81, promising to continue actively campaigning.
Sometimes stuttering, the American president has never been a great orator. Yesterday, he sometimes mumbled his words or left phrases unfinished, yet he demonstrated the ability to handle complex international and political issues without notes and without an auto-cue.
His appearance was in no way comparable to his disastrous performance in the June 27th debate with his Republican predecessor, when he was visibly confused and seemed terribly tired.
Mr. Biden reiterated yesterday that he intends to “finish the job” he started in 2020 and assured that he will still be capable, if re-elected, of “dealing with” the presidents of China and Russia, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, in three years. He also highlighted that U.S. allies fear a “disaster” if Donald Trump returns to the presidency for another term. The “European allies” did not say, “Joe, don’t run,” the American president stressed to journalists. “What they told me was, ‘You have to win, you can’t let this guy come back. It would be a disaster,'” he added.
“I underwent three neurological tests, intensive and significant,” the most recent of which was “in February,” he recalled, and the doctors “say I am in good shape. I am fine.”
He downplayed the dismal polls once again and assured that he has the “most qualifications,” that he is the most suitable candidate of his party against Donald Trump in November. “I beat him once already [Trump], I will beat him again,” he stated emphatically.
“There are others who could beat Trump, but it is incredibly difficult to start from scratch,” he added, a little less than four months before the polling stations open in the US.
The president, whose mental acuity is in question, denied that he needs to go to bed at 8:00 PM every night, but acknowledged that he must conserve his energy more.
Accustomed to verbal slips, he made two spectacular gaffes, one of which his opponent quickly capitalized on.
Answering the first question during the press conference, Mr. Biden said, “I wouldn’t have picked Vice President Trump if I didn’t think he was qualified to be president,” instead of saying Kamala Harris’s name.
“Great job, Joe,” Donald Trump immediately mocked on Truth Social, the social media site he created.
Earlier, the American president committed a monumental verbal slip.
At the NATO summit, he announced “President Putin” while welcoming Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on stage.
“And now I will give the floor to the President of Ukraine, who has as much courage as he has determination. Ladies and gentlemen, President Putin,” said the 81-year-old Democrat, before realizing the mistake, approaching the microphone, and stating, “…will defeat President Putin. President Zelensky!” “I am so focused on defeating Putin,” he explained.
More and more Democrats are questioning whether the American president can still save his candidacy, just weeks before the national convention of the party, which is supposed to finalize his nomination from August 19 to 22 in Chicago.
Some have spoken out publicly, although calls for him to step down have not yet become widespread, nor have they been endorsed by the most prominent figures in the party.
According to a report by the New York Times, Joe Biden’s team has discreetly begun researching the chances of his vice president, Kamala Harris, 59, to win against Donald Trump.
Meanwhile, according to CBS sources within the Democratic Party, “dozens” of the party’s parliamentarians are preparing to publicly ask the president to withdraw, a move that more than ten have already made.
And, according to a poll by the Ipsos institute for ABC News and the Washington Post, two-thirds (67%) of Americans believe Mr. Biden should withdraw his candidacy. Notably, this view is also held by a majority of Democratic voters, reaching 56%.
