In a key news conference that could make or break his presidential campaign, Joe Biden passionately defended his foreign policy record even as he faced a series of questions about his mental health and in another misstep Incorrectly calling Kamala Harris “Vice President Trump”.
Biden, who has spoken widely on thorny foreign policy issues, including competition with China and Israel’s war with Hamas, said he had warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to occupy the Gaza Strip.
He said he had contacted Xi directly to warn him against providing further support for Russia’s war in Ukraine, but had not contacted Vladimir Putin, saying: “I have no reason to talk to him now.”
But Biden, who is running for president until January 2029, asked an equal number of questions at a press conference about his mental health, an issue that has loomed over him since a poor debate performance against Donald Trump. On the campaign trail, he called the debate “stupid.”
Ultimately, supporters may say the performance demonstrates his ability to fulfill his duties as commander-in-chief, but is unlikely to convince those who already have doubts about his mental health that he can serve another four years.
Biden, 81, has insisted he will remain in the race despite calls from some in the party to withdraw and allow other figures, including Harris, to enter the November election. Shortly after the speech, Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, called on Biden to withdraw from the campaign.
Biden said the 32-member summit in Washington, D.C., was coming to an end. “None of my European allies said to me, ‘Don’t run, Joe.’ What I heard them say was, ‘You have to win.’
“If I slow down and can’t get the job done, that means I shouldn’t be doing it,” he said. “But there’s nothing to suggest that. Nothing.
Biden said he would not drop out of the race unless polls showed he had no chance of defeating Trump, even if polls showed Harris had a better chance in the election than himself.
Still, he said Harris was qualified to serve as president, even though he mistakenly called her in his endorsement. “I would not have chosen Vice President Trump to be my vice president if she was not qualified to be president,” he said.
The gaffe was compounded by the fact that just hours earlier he had introduced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as “President Putin” before later correcting himself to say “we are going to defeat Putin.”
Biden initially treated his final NATO summit news conference as a tourney, showcasing his national security record in support of Ukraine against Russian aggression and saying the November vote was “not just a political issue… it’s a national security issue ”.
He then spoke about his record on the economy, border security and efforts to broker peace in Israel’s war with Hamas to bolster his campaign in November.
Biden’s speech lasted 58 minutes, including 50 minutes of impromptu questions and answers. He appears extremely comfortable and convincing when discussing thorny foreign policy issues.
“Don’t make the same mistake again that the United States made after [Osama] Bin Laden,” he said he told Netanyahu when he was trying to prevent the possible occupation of Gaza. “There is no need to capture any place. Go after those who have done the work.
He also said that if Xi Jinping continues to “[supply] Russia relies on its information and capabilities to cooperate with North Korea and other countries to help Russia in armaments.”
But sometimes he gets lost in the weeds. Asked about reports that he asked for an early schedule, he said: “I’m not talking about, have you looked at my schedule since I made that stupid mistake in the campaign, in the debates?” . I mean, my schedule is packed.
“Where is Trump?” he continued. “Riding around on his golf cart? Filling out scorecards before hitting the ball?
