President Joe Biden told reporters he is “going to finish the job” during a rare press conference to address the calls for him to leave the race.
In a pivotal moment for Biden’s reelection campaign, the President addressed reporters at the 2024 NATO Summit in Washington, D.C., on July 11. After an eight-minute speech, reporters came out swinging with questions surrounding the growing list of Democrats pushing for Biden to step down. However, Biden fought to reassure Democratic voters that he was the man to vote for in November 2024. “I think I’m the most qualified person to run for president. I beat him once, and I will beat him again,” Biden said.
“I’ve gotta finish this job. I’ve gotta finish this job because there’s so much at stake.”
The President addressed vital foreign policy questions while celebrating NATO’s 75th anniversary, including his concerns about Ukraine and China’s rising threat to the U.S. However, his presidential responses were overshadowed by questions about mishaps that occurred earlier in the day.
During a scheduled event, Biden mistakenly introduced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as Russian President Vladimir Putin before quickly correcting himself. At the start of the press conference, Biden made another noticeable flub by referring to former President Donald Trump as the Vice President after a reporter from Reuters asked if Vice President Kamala Harris had the ability “to beat Trump if she were at the top of the ticket.” “I wouldn’t have picked Vice President Trump to be vice president if I think [sic] she was not qualified to be president,” Biden mistakenly replied.
He failed to correct himself and carried on with the next question.
Since Biden’s poor debate performance, concern for his health and mental capacity has heightened after reports of a meeting between expert neurologist Dr. Kevin Cannard and Biden’s doctor, Dr. Kevin O’Connor. The President took the time to address the rumors, stating that he is in good health and has no problem taking a cognitive exam if needed. “If my neurologist tells me I need another exam…if they think it’s a problem, then I’ll do it,” he told reporters.
While Biden admitted to
needing more time to “pace” himself, seemingly placing the blame on his team for running a tight schedule, he took some jabs at Trump, suggesting that while he is having back-to-back meetings, his GOP opponent is relaxing in Mar-A-Lago.The goal of the press conference was to reignite faith within his party’s lawmakers and voters. Biden highlighted the fact that regardless of what he decided, someone would be disappointed.
“No matter what I did, no one is going to be satisfied,” he said. And just four minutes after Biden gave his final question response, Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT), the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, according to CNBC, released a statement calling on Biden to exit the race. Rep. Scot Peters (D-Calif.) followed in his footsteps
.“The stakes are high, and we are on a losing course,” Peters said.
However, despite rumors of Harris being groomed to step up to the plate, the Vice President issued her continuous support of her boss on X. “Presiden @JoeBiden speaks from the heart, shows an unshakable resilience, and when he gets knocked down, he gets back up,” she wrote. “That is what winning looks like.”