President Biden, in a rare news conference on Thursday, told reporters he's not running in the 2024 presidential race for his "legacy," but to "complete the job." Moments after it ended, another member of his party expressed doubt about his determination to continue.
Why it matters: Biden's political support has plummeted since his poor performance in the debate against former President Trump. Each public appearance since has been an effort to reset the narrative on his suitability for office.
After the conference, Rep. Jim Himes (D-Ct.), ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, joined over a dozen House Democrats in urging Biden to withdraw from the race. Biden spoke for almost an hour — most compelling when discussing foreign policy — and reiterated that he is staying in the race because he believes he is "the best qualified person to do the job." However, he admitted he would reconsider if his staff presented evidence that he couldn't win, even if data showed Vice President Harris performing better against Trump. What he's saying: "I know I'm the best qualified to govern, and I think I'm the best qualified to win," Biden said.
In a softer tone during an ABC interview on Friday, Biden acknowledged "other people" could beat Trump. Between the lines: Biden delivered detailed answers on foreign policy, from Gaza to Ukraine and China, and a clear defense of reproductive rights: "Control guns, not girls," he said firmly at one point.
He added that there's "no indication" yet that he's slowing down or unable to do the job. During his first answer of the press conference, Biden mistakenly said, "I wouldn't have picked vice president Trump to be vice president," when asked about his confidence in Vice President Kamala Harris.
Trump, who has often criticized Biden for gaffes, mocked the president on Truth Social for the error. This was shortly after another mistake before the conference where he introduced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as President Vladimir Putin. Context: Prominent donors have recently joined the calls for him to quit the race since the debate.
George Clooney, who headlined a record-breaking Biden fundraiser in June, called for him to step down in a New York Times op-ed this week. A majority of voters (67%) said Biden should step aside as the presumptive Democratic nominee, according to a new ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll published Thursday. Zoom out: The president admitted he made a "stupid mistake" in the debate due to a busy schedule. He said he's realized he needs to pace himself better and denied recent reports that he plans to end nights at 8pm.
Biden told reporters his schedule since the debate has been "full bore" and took a jab at his GOP rival. "Where's Trump? Riding around on his golf cart filling out his scorecard before he hits the ball?" Biden said.
No comments:
Post a Comment