U.S. President Joe Biden was combative on July 11 during a lengthy press conference in Washington, which was overshadowed by some spectacular slips of the tongue. His candidacy for a second term therefore hangs in the balance.
Biden had just completed an hour of Q&A with reporters when two other Democratic politicians asked him to withdraw from the race.
“I am determined to run and I am here to allay fears,” he said, promising to actively engage in the election campaign.
But only in the coming days will it be clear whether Biden has strengthened his position or whether he has only bought some time before a withdrawal that many political analysts say is inevitable.
During the press conference, Biden at times stuttered and struggled to finish sentences, but he also showed remarkable mastery of major political issues, particularly international ones.
Overall, his performance was on a far different level than that of the disastrous televised debate with Donald Trump on June 27, in which he appeared tired and confused.
The president has repeated several times that he wants to “get the job done” and assured that, if re-elected, he will be perfectly capable of standing up to Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, even in three years’ time.
“I’ve had three neurological exams recently, the last one in February, and I’m in good shape,” he said.
Biden reiterated that he is the “most qualified” candidate to defeat Trump in November’s presidential election.
Biden’s good performance, however, was overshadowed by a spectacular slip of the tongue.
In response to the first question of the press conference, he said: “I wouldn’t have chosen Trump as vice president if he didn’t have what it takes to be president.”
Of course, he was referring to Vice President Kamala Harris.
“Great job, Joe,” Trump joked on his social network Truth Social.
Shortly before the press conference, during the NATO summit in Washington, Biden announced “President Putin” while welcoming Ukrainian head of state Volodymyr Zelensky to the stage.
“And now I want to give the floor to the president of Ukraine, who has shown great courage and determination. Ladies and gentlemen, President Putin,” Biden said, correcting himself soon after.
“It’s just that I’m focused on beating Putin,” he said.
Many members of the Democratic Party doubt that Biden will be able to save his candidacy, just weeks before the convention to be held in Chicago from August 19 to 22.
In an Ipsos poll released July 11 by the Washington Post and ABC, 67 percent of respondents said Biden should withdraw from the race. As for Democratic voters, 56 percent would like the president to step back.