Amidst mounting calls from members in his own party for him to resign, U.S. President Joe Biden vehemently defended his candidacy as the Democratic presidential nominee on Thursday – while also uttering a couple of glaring gaffes in the space of a few hours.
As he held court with reporters for over an hour at the end of the three-day NATO summit in Washington, D.C., the president said he was the best candidate to face former President Trump in November, even though some in the party were openly doubting if that was the case.
“I believe I’m the best qualified to govern,” said Biden. “And I think I’m the best qualified to win. But there are other people who could beat Trump too. But it’s all start from scratch. And you know, we talk about money raised. We’re not doing bad.”
“The only thing age does is creates a little bit of wisdom if you pay attention,” added Biden, who at 81 is already “the oldest president in history.”
“The fact is, the consideration is, that I think I’m the most qualified person to run for president. I beat him once, and I will beat him again.”
A relatively strong, hourlong performance by Biden in answering questions about foreign policy, confronting China and Russia, and the risks to the United States if Trump retreats from the world stage was however, threatened by a couple of high-profile gaffes: first he mistakenly introduced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as “President Putin”, and shortly after he confused Vice President Kamala Harris with Donald Trump.
When asked if he believed he would face a challenge at the Democratic National Convention next month, the president once again asserted that “it’s not going to happen.” However, he added that the party would be “free to do whatever they want” if they decided to select a different candidate. “I’m not in this for my legacy. I’m in this to complete the job I started,” he said.
In his conference, Biden proudly claimed to have pulled together 50 countries to assist Ukraine and took credit for bringing Sweden and Finland into NATO, also contending that Trump will undermine the Western military alliance and increase costs for American consumers by imposing high tariffs on imports.
Furthermore, he stated that the Israel-Gaza conflict must stop immediately and that Israel must not occupy the enclave following the battle, adding that both Israel and Hamas had agreed on his ceasefire framework but that there were still holes to be filled.
Biden’s capacity to win the election on November 5 and handle the responsibilities of the office has come under increasing scrutiny from funders, supporters, and other Democrats after his dismal showing against Trump in a presidential debate two weeks ago.
Notable contributors, including actor George Clooney, have urged Biden to withdraw, and there have been indications that worries are escalating inside Biden’s campaign staff as well. One of the 51 Democrats in the Senate and at least 17 of the 213 Democrats in the House have openly urged the president to drop out of the contest.
According to a person with knowledge of the situation, the Democratic campaign has also commissioned a study to see how Vice President Kamala Harris would perform if she were to challenge Biden for the nomination. In response to a question on her running mate, Biden commended her work on reproductive health as well as her prior experience as a senator and prosecutor.
“I wouldn’t have picked Vice President Trump to be vice president did I think she was not qualified to be president,” Biden said, confusing Harris with his Republican opponent.
