For the first time in 238 days, President Joe Biden faced the press corps for an unfiltered, nearly hour-long Q&A. He took questions from 10 reporters, including from Scripps News White House correspondent Haley Bull.
The solo press conference marked the end of the NATO summit, celebrating 75 years of the critical alliance. But after a disappointing debate performance last month, President Biden needed a good performance Thursday night, and he repeatedly insisted that he's staying in the race.
"I'm going to be going around making the case of things that I think we have to finish and how we can't afford to lose what we've done, or backslide on civil rights, liberties, women's rights," he said.
At 81 years old, members of his own party have been questioning whether he should step aside as the Democratic nominee. As of Friday morning, 18 sitting members of Congress are on record asking President Biden to end his campaign and allow someone else to be on top of the ticket, and nearly 30 others have publicly voiced concerns about his ability to beat former President Donald Trump in November.
The president did have some verbal missteps, including an embarrassing one at the very beginning where he said "Vice President Trump" when he meant to say Vice President Kamala Harris. But later, he stressed that Harris is ready to step up, if needed.
"The way she's handled the issue of freedom of women's bodies, to have control over their bodies," he said. "Secondly, her ability to handle almost any issue on the board. This was a hell of a prosecutor. She was a first-rate person, and in the Senate, she was really good. I wouldn't have picked her unless I thought she was qualified to be president."
RELATED STORY| Biden says he will stay in 2024 presidential race even if VP Harris may fare better
As the press conference neared the one hour mark, Bull asked the president about the upcoming Democratic convention.
"Your delegates are pledged to make you the official nominee. If they have second thoughts are they free to vote their conscience?" she asked. President Biden said yes.
"Obviously, they're free to do whatever they want, but I get overwhelming support," he answered.
The president also demonstrated his foreign affairs knowledge, covering questions on China, Israel, Ukraine and Russia. He said, "The idea that we're going to be able to fundamentally change Russia in the near term is not likely, but one thing for certain — if we allow Russia to succeed in Ukraine, they're not stopping Ukraine."
On the Israel and Hamas war, President Biden said it's time for the war to end, but that doesn't mean walking away from going after Hamas.
Despite growing concerns about his candidacy, President Biden is moving forward at full speed. In the next week, he's scheduled to travel to Michigan, Texas and Nevada, and two of those states are expected to be key battlegrounds in November.
