The US President is overtaking his hour of truth
At the end of the three-day NATO Summit, President Biden faces questions from the press. There are queries about the resolutions, but mainly about himself and his condition. It begins with a slip, but in truth: Biden fights on.
Doubts, doubts, constant doubts. US President Joe Biden lost the trust of many two weeks ago during a TV debate against Donald Trump when he collapsed mentally. The media and even his congressional colleagues have been closely watching every step he takes since then. How does he handle himself in public? Can he speak without a script, without a teleprompter? Deal with critical, complex questions? Can he win the November election?
It's the last evening of the NATO Summit, Biden has a long schedule behind him as he steps onto the stage. The room is full, some journalists sit on the carpet in the aisle. This is the first time since November that the 81-year-old has faced open questioning for an extended period. The framework is unusual and demands a certain mental agility: For three days, he has been the host to half the world, delivering major speeches, setting the tone. Now he must prove himself like in an oral exam. Coherent sentences? Correct names and dates? Understandable argumentation lines?
After a several-minute speech about the summit and the achievements of his presidency via teleprompter, Biden begins the question-and-answer format with a slip that raises concerns. In response to a question about Vice President Kamala Harris, he says: "I wouldn't have picked Vice President Trump if I didn't think she could be president." But it's the only major mistake, and not unusual for Biden, who was known for his verbal gaffes as a Senator before that. The political gauntlet is spared for the Democrats a month before the nominating convention.
One more strange moment comes when a journalist asks if Biden would be able to hold a Four-Eyes Talk (private talks between leaders) with China's President Xi Jinping or Russia's President Vladimir Putin in the future. Biden initially responds that he speaks regularly with Xi but has no reason to speak with Putin at the moment. "But I understand the point," he continues: "Is Putin willing to talk?" But that shouldn't have been the background of the question, but rather Biden's age and condition. Biden either misunderstood or skillfully avoided the question.
Biden's One-Man Barricade
The journalists pepper Biden with questions about his candidacy, potential replacement Harris, and his future. It's an ungrateful situation. Biden is no longer going to fall into a fountain of youth; he speaks more slowly than before, he mumbles more than before, and he struggles more for the right word. But he fights on. When Biden ran for president in 2020, he said he was a transitional candidate for a younger generation. What has changed, a journalist asks. "The seriousness of the situation!" Biden responds provocatively: "Our democracy is under siege by the Supreme Court? Through Project 2025? (Possible radical agenda of a Trump presidency, note from the editor.) Trump wants to abolish the civil service, get rid of the Department of Education!" Biden is resolutely convinced that he is running and will win. But he also leaves an opening for the alternative Harris and praises her repeatedly and openly.
The delegates sent by the states in accordance with the primary results can certainly make their own choices, Biden stated. "When I come to the convention and they want someone else, that's the democratic process." Then, lowering his voice as if sharing a secret, he said, "But it won't happen." He considered himself the most qualified to govern and win. Only if told there was no chance of winning would he step aside. "The campaign hasn't really begun yet," he thinks.
However, his self-confidence does not quell the doubts in Congress. A Senator and 16 Representatives have publicly demanded that they want an alternative candidate to Biden. The party leaders publicly support Biden, but both in the House of Representatives and the Senate want detailed information from Biden's campaign team on how they can avoid open eyes in a electoral disaster and win instead. In the House of Representatives, there are permanent discussions about it, and the Senators were assured during a meeting with Biden's campaigners: We will win with the decisive states of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, the "blue wall" will not fall.
A Half Second Pause
Convincing enough, it was not, as evidenced by Biden's weak poll numbers. Several US media are buzzing around Biden, with the editorial line of the "New York Times" being that Biden should make way for someone else for nearly two weeks. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi pointed a gun at him during the summit and said there was not much time left for a decision. Since he had already made the decision, it could be rephrased as a parental question to Biden: Joe, have you really thought this through? Pelosi is reportedly advised her colleagues in Congress to wait for further steps until after the end of the NATO summit to not embarrass Biden and the country.
Just before his important press conference, Biden held a brief ceremony. The heads of state and government of over 20 supporter states of Ukraine took the stage, and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky joined Biden at the podium. Biden praises the efforts of all, "Ladies and gentlemen, President Putin." A pin could be heard dropping in the room. Biden turns away, the applause starts cautiously - but Biden corrects, "President Putin, I am so focused on defeating him; President Zelensky!" Zelensky laughs, "I'm better," and Biden responds, "Much better!" The clip ran on several US television networks in the early evening program.
According to a new Washington Post survey, 67 percent of adults in the US believe Biden should not run again. 56 percent of voters for the Democrats share the same opinion. 70 percent are satisfied with Harris. But Biden is not swayed by poll results, brushing aside all concerns. After all, he had already beaten Trump once, he thinks. What was, that was; what's coming, he can influence. About a month until the nominating convention.
- The Ukraine-Conflict has been a topic of discussion during Joe Biden's United States Presidency Election 2024, with critics questioning his stance and actions towards Russia's President Vladimir Putin.
- During a TV Duel in the US Presidency Election 2020, Biden faced criticisms from his opponent, Donald Trump, over his handling of the Ukraine issue and his age.
- At the NATO Summit, a journalist asked Biden if he would be able to hold a Four-Eyes Talk with Putin in the future, a question that raised concerns about Biden's ability to handle international politics, especially given the ongoing Ukraine-Conflict.
- Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, was present at Biden's press conference during the NATO Summit, and the two leaders spoke about the ongoing Ukraine-Conflict and their mutual support.
- Despite polls showing that a majority of Americans believe Biden should not run for reelection due to concerns over his age and his handling of issues like the Ukraine-Conflict, Biden remains resolute in his intention to run for the US Presidency Election 2024, citing his past victory over Trump.
