‘Rorschach test’: Biden’s press conference fails to stem a growing party rebellion

President Biden’s appearance at the NATO summit offered grist for his Democratic critics, like when he mixed up Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin and later Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, and for his defenders, like his nuanced answers on foreign policy. It was, as one House Democratic aide put it, a “Rorschach test.”

“I thought it went well,” said Rep. Glenn Ivey, a Maryland Democrat. “He transposed a name but that happens to everyone — including Trump. And the opening speech was very strong.”

But Democrats opposed to Biden’s candidacy also sent a clear and direct message afterwards: We don’t care either way.

Jim Himes, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, called for Biden to drop out within minutes of the press conference’s end. It was untenable, he told MSNBC’s Alex Wagner, for Democrats to sit and wait for the next slip up. He had seen enough.

“One of the really kind of sick aspects of this moment is that we are watching every speech, every rally, every debate and saying ‘How did he do today?’” Himes said. “That’s just not the way to think about the presidency of the United States.”

While Himes said his move was not part of a coordinated effort with other Democrats, it certainly was strategic. The timing of the announcement, as well as Himes’ specific expertise in national security, was clearly intended to step on any discussion of the press conference’s relevance to the discussion over Biden’s fate.

Rep. Brad Schneider, an Illinois Democrat who had earlier called on Biden to step aside, made the same point on CNN. Biden did a “fine job,” he said but Democrats can’t survive “holding our breath” constantly worrying about his ability to do the job.

Not long after Himes’ initial statement, Politico reported that Rep. Scott Peters, a California Congressman known for his work on climate issues, would “ask President Biden to withdraw from the presidential campaign.” He was followed within an hour by Illinois Rep. Eric Sorensen, who said Biden should make way for a candidate who can “communicate a positive vision for every person in this country.”

The continued drumbeat of opposition angered Biden supporters who had hoped for positive headlines out of an event in which the president, on substance at least, had successfully showcased his deep knowledge and experience on foreign policy.

“The sky only falls when you chip at it,” texted California Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove.

Instead, they were back where they started: Facing a growing rebellion against his nomination with no obvious way to move past it.

Thursday’s various anti-Biden rollouts were the latest sign that the opposition to his nomination in Washington is growing more organized and emboldened. It’s also not yet clear how deep Biden’s own support is — while he has more on-paper backers than detractors, their response to the last thirty-six hour of crises has been relatively muted. Biden is perhaps the ultimate arbiter of his fate, but the prospect of moving forward soon — if ever — with a united party is looking more and more remote.

The outcome also wasn’t entirely surprising. Some Democrats had suggested to Semafor ahead of the press conference that it was misunderstood as a make-or-break test for Biden. In fact, they said, there was already more criticism waiting around the corner that was being held back by the ongoing NATO Summit, because some members feared undermining the president while he was representing the US on the world stage.

That pushback might not always come in the form of dramatic statements demanding Biden to drop down (though more such statements are likely). Members are “extremely nervous” about their own races and are losing hope of taking back the House, one House Democrat told Semafor ahead of the press conference. But the lawmaker said that some members are trying to make the case to Biden and his team privately, even as they fear he seems to be digging in on his position in response to public criticism.

Some Democrats argued Biden made headway with members who might have been on the fence. “I think he convinced a lot of people he should stay in the race,” Rep. Steve Cohen of Tennessee said on CNN.

• Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama have discussed how to handle Biden’s struggling candidacy, CNN’s Edward-Isaac Dovere and Jeff Zeleny report. “Neither is quite sure what to do,” they write.

Morgan Chalfant and Joseph Zeballos-Roig contributed to this story.