In one of the most consequential press conferences of his political career, President Biden defended his foreign and domestic leadership, stumbling several times in his bid to prove he is fit for another four years in office despite his 81 years.
Mr. Biden downplayed his recent gaffes, including a major mix-up at the NATO summit hours before he met with the press, while making more mistakes and occasionally sounding inaudible or incoherent.
Much of the president’s performance was solid on substance, if not on delivery, however, and it will likely help him stave off growing Democratic calls for him to withdraw from the presidential race as he struggles to recover from his disastrous debate performance last month.
Mr. Biden defended his presidency vigorously in the nearly hourlong conference, insisting he is the most qualified person to serve as president and one who is capable of winning in November over former President Donald Trump, the presumed Republican nominee.
“I beat him once, and I’ll beat him again,” Mr. Biden said.
The president coughed and stumbled at times, frequently spoke in a near whisper, and raised his voice in a scolding tone several times.
He occasionally appeared to lose his train of thought and would rely on the phrase “but anyway” to fill the void. There also were more word mix-ups, which have become characteristic of Mr. Biden’s public addresses.
When it came time to answer a question about Vice President Kamala Harris possibly succeeding him on the ticket, he identified her as “Vice President Trump.”
He said, “I wouldn’t have picked her if she wasn’t qualified to be president.”
Mr. Biden was criticized for his gaffes, including by former President Donald Trump, who blasted him on his social media site for mixing him up with Ms. Harris.
Biden aides praised his performance, which they said showcased his command of foreign affairs.
“To answer the question on everyone’s minds: No, Joe Biden does not have a doctorate in foreign affairs,” White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates posted on X. “He’s just that f——— good.”
The press conference focused mostly on his fitness for the job and whether he should run for another term.
The president said he would take a cognitive test, but only if his doctor ordered one, and denied needing to go to bed early despite reports that he told Democratic governors he needed to retire at 8 p.m.
He explained that “it would be smarter to pace myself a little more” and not be on the job from early in the morning until very late at night.
“My schedule has been full bore,” Mr. Biden added, taking a swipe at his opponent.
“Where has Trump been? Riding around in his golf cart, filling out his scorecard before he hits the ball? I always have an inclination, just to keep going, not stopping. I’ve just got to pace myself a little more,” Mr. Biden said.
He stumbled over questions about U.S. weapons being used by Ukraine to strike Russia, telling reporters, “our military is working on following the advice of my commander in chief, my, my chief of staff of the military, as well as the secretary of defense and our intelligence people” when it comes to U.S. involvement.
He attempted to navigate a question about how he would handle the growing alliance between Russia and China, but part of it was rambling.
He answered a follow-up question about whether he would be capable of negotiating face-to-face with Russian President Vladimir Putin or Chinese President Xi Jinping in two or three years.
“I’m ready to deal with them now and three years from now. Like I said, I’m dealing with Xi right now, in direct contact with him. I have no good reason to talk to Putin right now. There isn’t any world leader I’m not prepared to deal with. I’m not ready to talk to Putin unless Putin is ready to change his behavior,” he said.
He also highlighted his efforts to assist civilians in Gaza while Israel roots out Hamas militants who attacked their country on Oct. 7.
The president took questions from the press in a bid to prove his cognitive mettle after a disastrous debate performance two weeks ago and amid increasing calls from within his own party for him to quit the race and hand the baton, presumably to Ms. Harris.
The president arrived at the press conference after a bad stumble at NATO, right in front of world leaders gathered in Washington where he has worked this week to prove he is a capable leader.
After a day of talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Mr. Biden introduced him as “President Putin,” the Russian president who invaded his country.
Mr. Biden immediately corrected and attempted to explain himself, but the gaffe exploded on social media and led the evening news, adding to Mr. Biden’s struggle to prove he is cognitively fit for office.
He is facing rising pressure from Democrats to move aside for Ms. Harris or another Democratic candidate ahead of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, which begins on Aug. 19.
Senate Democrats met with Biden staffers Thursday on Capitol Hill and left no more confident that Mr. Biden could pull off a win against Mr. Trump.
A Washington Post/Ipsos poll released Thursday showed Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump tied nationally, which has largely been the case for months. But the same poll showed two-thirds of Americans believe Mr. Biden should not run for reelection, including three-quarters of critical independents and more than half of all Democrats.
• Susan Ferrechio can be reached at sferrechio@washingtontimes.com.
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