Joe Biden accidentally referred to Vice President Kamala Harris as “Vice President Trump” as he answered his first question at a closely watched, high-stakes press conference while under pressure from Democratic officials to end his re-election campaign against his Republican rival.
Biden responded to several questions about his fitness for office and his viability as a candidate against Donald Trump after the 81-year-old president appeared to unravel during a presidential debate against him two weeks ago.
Biden arrived on stage on Thursday facing a mandate from Democratic officials and voters to prove he is up to the task of campaigning against Trump for the next four months, let alone serving another demanding four-year term in the White House.
“Look, I wouldn’t have picked Vice President Trump, to be vice president, if she’s not qualified to be president.” he said, before correcting himself.
Asked later whether he would step down if polling data showed that Harris would fare better against Trump, he whispered: “No one’s saying that.”
Biden, who frequently cleared his throat and garbled his responses, faced several urgent questions from reporters about his viability as he navigated relatively complex statements about foreign policy and US posture.
The president insisted he is staying in the race and remained optimistic about his chances and his political future, pointing to his record in office and renewed global alliances during this week’s NATO summit.
“The fact is,” Biden said, “I’m the most qualified person to beat Trump. I beat him once, I’ll beat him again.”
“Where’s Trump been,” he said at one point. “Riding around on his golf cart, filling out a scorecard before he hits the ball?”
Asked whether he can reassure Americans that he won’t have “more bad nights” like his admittedly “stupid mistake” of a performance against Trump at their first 2024 debate, Biden said there is “no indication” that his work is “slowing down.”
“Am I getting the job done? Can you name me somebody who has gotten more major pieces of legislation passed in three and a half years?” he said.
“I created 2,000 jobs just last week,” he added. “If I slow down and can’t get the job done, that’s a sign that I shouldn’t be doing it. But there’s no indication of that yet. None.”
He said it would be “smarter for me to pace myself more.”
“My schedule has been full bore,” he said. “I love my staff, but they add things.”
He joked that he is “catching hell from my wife” for his demanding schedule.
“I’m not in this for my legacy,” he said. “I’m in this to complete the job I started.”
Asked whether he would take another neurological exam before November’s election, he said: “I think it’s important that I, if a neurologist tells me I need another exam … Go ask Trump for his, OK?”
“I am not opposed, if my doctors tell me,” he added. “If my doctors think I need another exam, I’ll do it.”
By The Independent UK