Biden is determined to run
At a press conference at the end of the NATO summit, US President Biden aims to dispel doubts about his fitness for another term. However, not everything went smoothly.
US President Joe Biden used his much-anticipated press conference at the end of the NATO summit to defend his domestic and foreign policy record. Questions about his increasingly questioned ability to lead the country for another four years were pushed back during the event. "It's not about my legacy. It's about finishing the work I've started," he said.
The support from voters is strong, insisted the 81-year-old. He will remain in the presidential race and win. He would not do this, "if I'm getting slower," he said, and assured that he could still do the job. "My schedule is full," he explained. "If I'm getting slower and can't get the work done, that would be a sign that I shouldn't be doing it. But so far, there are no such signs - none."
A disastrous TV duel with former President Donald Trump on June 27 had recently fueled doubts about whether the 81-year-old still had the mental acuity for another term. The focus of the press conference following the NATO summit was on whether Biden would allow further gaffes and weaknesses. Hours beforehand, he had mistakenly introduced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as Vladimir Putin - but corrected himself quickly.
Approximately a dozen Democratic representatives had urged Biden to withdraw his candidacy before the press conference. The evening before, the first Democratic senator had also called for a withdrawal. And Hollywood star George Clooney wrote recently in an opinion piece in the "New York Times," he loved Biden, but the party would lose the race for the White House and control of the US Congress with him as the candidate. The waning support could also be a financial problem for the Democrats: according to a report in the "Financial Times," major donors are considering withdrawing their support from the Biden campaign.
Biden and Harris confused
"I am determined to run, but I think it's important that I allay fears - they should see me out there," Biden said at the press conference about the growing doubts. But then he allowed himself another slip-up.
In the first reporter question, he was asked for a statement on the loss of support from many Democrats and labor unions, as well as on Vice President Kamala Harris. Biden initially reacted defensively and declared that the United Auto Workers union had supported his candidacy, "but go on." But then he mixed up his deputy Harris and his rival Trump. "I wouldn't have made Trump my vice president if he wasn't qualified," Biden said.
A response from Trump was not long in coming. He released a video clip on his social media platform of Biden saying "Vice President Trump." "Good job, Joe," Trump added sarcastically.
"Biden delivered his eight-minute remarks on NATO at the beginning of the press conference with the help of teleprompters. 'Kiev still stands and NATO is stronger than ever before,' he summarized. In total, he answered questions from ten journalists following his speech, which focused on his mental fitness, domestic and foreign policy, and primarily, his re-election campaign.
'I believe I'm the most qualified person to run for president,' Biden stated. He qualified himself to win and would remain in the race until his staff told him there was no chance for him to win. 'No one is saying that,' Biden explained. 'No poll says that.'"
- Despite concerns raised by some Democrats and major donors, as reported in the "Financial Times," US President Joe Biden reaffirmed his intention to run for the United States Presidency Election 2024, aiming to dispel doubts about his fitness for another term.
- The issue of Biden's mental fitness was brought up during the press conference at the end of the NATO summit, with questions arising after a televised debate with former President Donald Trump and a slip-up where Biden mistakenly referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as Vladimir Putin.
- The United States Presidency Election 2024 is set to be a significant event in Politics, with Joe Biden and Donald Trump likely to be major contenders, given their past positions in the White House and the ongoing NATO discussions.
