President Biden opened a news conference where he was being closely watched to prove he was not mentally frail by mixing up the names of Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.
Asked if Ms. Harris was prepared to take over as president, Mr. Biden said: “I wouldn’t have picked Vice President Trump to be vice president if she wasn’t qualified to be president.”
Shortly before the press conference at a NATO summit in Washington, Mr. Biden made another embarrassing blunder with names by introducing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “President Putin.”
Still, a defiant Mr. Biden said at the press conference that he would “keep moving” in an uphill fight to remain at the top of the Democratic ticket despite an increasing number of Democratic leaders prodding him to quit the race or risk losing to Mr. Trump.
Mr. Biden flatly rejected the idea that his stumbles at a June 27 debate and doubts about his cognitive abilities were fatal to his campaign or damaging the country’s standing.
“Did you see any damage to our standing?” he said. “Have you seen a more successful conference?”
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For days Mr. Biden, 81, has insisted he is not dropping out of the race despite the turmoil sparked by his poor debate performance against Mr. Trump on June 27.
Polls show majorities of Americans want him to step aside and let Mr. Harris or an alternative Democrat helm the ticket, citing doubts about his age and faculties.
In response to another question about Ms. Harris’ readiness for the top job, Mr. Biden again insisted she was qualified to be president, pointing to her record as a prosecutor, senator and vice president.
“She is qualified to be president. That’s why I picked her,” Mr. Biden said.
Some congressional Democrats have rallied behind the president, yet his prospects dimmed when former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi this week said it is up to Mr. Biden to decide his future, which was hardly an endorsement.
Actor George Clooney, who recently held a fundraiser for Mr. Biden, penned a cutting op-ed that called the president a dear friend but urged him to step aside for the good of the country.
SEE ALSO: WATCH: Biden refers to Zelenskyy as ‘President Putin’
Mr. Biden defended his record and abilities at a rare news conference. The president accepts some unscripted queries from the traveling White House pool and limited press conferences with foreign leaders but rarely holds free-wheeling press conferences with a full slate of questions.
The president was in sparring mode, correcting a Reuters reporter who said a key union questioned his ability to lead the ticket.
“UAW just endorsed me, but go ahead,” Mr. Biden said.
Earlier, White House scoffed at reports his inner circle had begun to turn against him.
“Unequivocally, this is not true. President Biden’s team is strongly behind him,” senior deputy White House press secretary Andrew Bates said.
Mr. Biden seemed more comfortable providing lengthy answers to questions about foreign policy than queries about his acuity and political future.
The president gave a detailed explanation of the U.S.’s posture vis-a-vis China and criticized Mr. Putin for his violent foray into Ukraine.
He also highlighted his efforts to assist the civilians in Gaza while Israel roots out Hamas militants who attacked their country on Oct. 7.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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