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Embattled Biden fiercely defends candidacy at crucial NATO press conference

Updated Jul 12, 2024, 4:33am EDT
North America
President Joe Biden speaks at a press conference at NATO's 75th anniversary summit in Washington, US July 11, 2024.
Yves Herman/Reuters
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The News

US President Joe Biden closed out the NATO summit Thursday evening by vigorously defending his candidacy, insisting he’s the right person to lead the Democrats to victory in November.

“I think I’m the most qualified person to run for president. I beat [Trump] once, I’ll beat him again,” Biden told reporters at a rare solo press conference in Washington, DC. “There’s a long way to go in this campaign, so I’m just going to keep moving, I’ve got more work to do, more work to finish.”

Even if his campaign showed Vice President Kamala Harris polling better against presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump, Biden vowed he would not reconsider his decision to stay in the race. “No, unless they came back and said there’s no way you can win,” he said.

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Occasionally stumbling over his words — calling Harris “Vice President Trump” at one point and not pausing to correct himself — but striking a stubbornly confident tone, Biden lauded the US’ and his own achievements in supporting Ukraine to resist Russia’s war, expanding NATO, and reducing inflation.

He acknowledged concerns about his continued candidacy, saying “I think it’s important that I allay fears, let them see me out there.”

Asked whether his recent slip-ups have done damage to America’s standing on the global stage, a defiant Biden responded: “Did you see any damage to our standing in my leading this conference? Have you seen a more successful conference?” He noted that European allies have not asked him not to run, but have simply said he “has to win.”

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The hour-long press conference took on outsize importance as Biden faced growing calls from congressional Democrats and high-profile donors this week to step aside as the party’s nominee; As of Thursday afternoon, more than 10 members had publicly asked him to bow out. The 81-year-old is fighting to save his candidacy in the aftermath of his disastrous debate against Donald Trump, which set off a party-wide crisis.

At least six more Democratic lawmakers prepared to publicly break with the president if the NATO presser went south, Politico reported, while others told Axios they have decided to urge him to exit the race regardless of his performance Thursday. Immediately after the press conference ended, Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes said Biden should step down.

The message was clear: Democrats who had lost in faith in Biden’s campaign were not evaluating his performance event-by-event. They would continue to push for him to exit the race.

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The significance of the already-high-stakes press conference intensified after former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi cast doubt on Biden’s nomination Wednesday.

The veteran Democrat avoided directly endorsing his candidacy, saying Biden needed to “decide if he is going to run,” despite the president having firmly declared he’s staying in the race.

The party has avoided taking a firm stance on Biden’s candidacy during the NATO summit — possibly in an effort to preserve a strong national image on the global stage, or because it can’t come to a consensus — paving the way for the situation to rapidly change after the conference ends Thursday night. Some members said they were waiting for Congress to recess, which also happened Thursday.

“I would’ve hoped we could get through NATO,” Pelosi told Punchbowl News on Thursday morning as more Democrats came out against Biden’s candidacy. “I think he’s doing a great job at NATO. I wish you all would pay attention.”

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The View From Trump

Trump mocked Biden’s verbal slips on social media during the press conference. “Crooked Joe begins his ‘Big Boy’ Press Conference with, ‘I wouldn’t have picked Vice President Trump to be vice president...’ Great job, Joe!” Trump posted on his social network, Truth Social.

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The View From Allies

European leaders have been quick to defend the president in public. “Biden has had a strong presence in all the discussions and has set the agenda with his comments,” Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre told Semafor.

France’s Emmanuel Macron said that throughout the summit the US president had been on top of his brief, when asked by Semafor about his impression of Biden at a press conference. “France, Europe, Ukraine are very lucky to have an administration, a president as committed as he is,” he added.

Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, told reporters that what he heard from allies “was a drumbeat of praise for the United States but also for President Biden personally, for what he’s done to strengthen NATO.”

But in private, including on the sidelines of the Washington summit, many European officials have voiced concerns about the Democratic candidate’s political position.

One European official expressed worries that Biden’s performance could become a distraction, overshadowing the alliance’s efforts to present a strong, united front. NATO leaders have been hit with awkward questions about the president’s mental acuity and whether the US will remain committed to the bloc if Trump returns to the White House.

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Notable

  • The Washington Post’s Toluse Olorunnipa previews how this press conference fits with Biden’s bid to save his candidacy
  • The Associated Press’s David Bauder wonders why Biden’s debate performance was such a surprise — and whether the media is complicit
  • The New York Times’s Michael Shear details the White House’s lack of news conferences despite its promises of transparency
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