Biden says at news conference he will ‘finish the job’ despite calls to withdraw

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden has used his closely watched a press conference On Thursday, he offered a forceful defense of his foreign and domestic policies and dismissed questions about his ability to serve another four years, declaring: “I’m not doing this for my legacy. I’m doing this to finish the job.”

He made one significant early gaffe when he misspoke while referring to Vice President Kamala Harris. But he largely stayed on topic for an hour. Intensive interrogationavoiding any suggestion that he was in decline, no longer fit to lead the nation and too ancient to serve another term in office.

It was unclear whether the performance would be enough to change the lively that had developed: A growing number of Democratic lawmakers, donors and celebrities are calling for him to step down — not to mention a majority of voters who have expressed doubts about his suitability for the job — and Biden has defended himself by insisting that he will stay in the race and win in November. And the longer the infighting continues, the less Democrats appear to present a united front against Republican Donald Trump.

“If I slow down and can’t get the job done, that’s a sign I shouldn’t be doing it,” Biden said. “But there’s no sign of that yet — none.”

Even as he was wrapping up his news conference, the 81-year-old leader faced calls to step aside. In a statement shortly after leaving the stage, Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said Biden should end his candidacy given his “extraordinary legacy in American history.” Fifteen other House Democrats called on him to make way for a novel nominee.

Biden in vintage style during press conference

Biden has said he is willing to undergo another neurological evaluation before the election, but only if his doctors recommend it. He last had the exam in January, and the results were released in February.

In his first exchange with reporters, Biden was asked about the loss of support among many of his fellow Democrats and union members, as well as Vice President Kamala Harris. Biden was initially defiant, saying, “The UAW endorsed me, but go ahead,” referring to the United Auto Workers. But then he confused Harris with Trump, saying, “I would not have picked Vice President Trump for vice president if she was not qualified.”

Trump spoke live at Biden’s news conference, posting a video on his social media site of the president saying, “Vice President Trump.”

Trump added sarcastically: “Great job, Joe!”

Much of the press conference was typical Biden: long answers on foreign policy and hackneyed anecdotes. He used prompters for his opening remarks on NATO, which lasted about eight minutes. Then the prompters dropped, and he fielded a wide range of questions from 10 reporters about his mental acuity, foreign and domestic policy and — mostly — the future of his campaign.

“I believe I am the most qualified to govern, and I believe I am the most qualified to win,” Biden said, adding that he would remain in the race until his campaign determined he had no chance of winning.

“Nobody is saying that,” he said. “No poll is saying that.”

Biden chalked up his June 27 debate performance to a bad night after a grueling month of international travel. He has since made more public appearances, speaking to voters and taking questions from reporters. He even looks considerably less pale than he did two weeks ago.

“I am committed to running, but I think it is important to allay fears — to let them see me there,” Biden said.

But his campaign acknowledged Thursday that he is falling behind, and a growing number of the president’s advisers at the White House and on the campaign trail privately doubt he will be able to turn things around.

But they are taking their cues from Biden, expressing that he is 100% ready until he is, and there does not appear to be an organized internal effort to persuade the president to leave. His allies were aware that there would be more calls for him to leave earlier in the week and were prepared for that. But they felt he came through Thursday and showed lawmakers and the public that he can get the job done, even though he is not known as a seasoned speaker.

The news conference was broadcast during prime time and major television networks began airing it, meaning it was likely watched by millions of Americans.

Campaign admits president is behind but sees path to victory

Earlier in a novel memo, the Biden campaign outlined its vision for retaining the White House, saying winning the blue wall states of Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan is the “clearest path” to victory.

The memo attempted to dismiss “hypothetical polls of alternative candidates” as unreliable and stated that such polls “fail to take into account the negative media environment that any Democratic candidate will face.”

Meanwhile, the campaign has been quietly polling voters to find out how voters view Harris, according to two people familiar with the campaign who spoke to The Associated Press (who asked not to be identified) to discuss internal matters.

The people said the poll wasn’t necessarily meant to show she could be Biden’s running mate, but rather to better understand how she’s perceived. The survey was conducted after Trump ramped up his attacks on Harris after the debate, according to another person familiar with the effort. The poll was first reported by The New York Times.

Another solemn mishap of the day

His next major blunder of the day came before a news conference announcing a pact that would unite NATO countries in support of Ukraine. Biden called the country’s leader, Volodymyr Zelensky, “President Putin,” drawing audible gasps from the room. He quickly returned to the microphone: “President Putin — he’ll beat President Putin … President Zelensky,” Biden said.

Then, trying to explain the gaffe, he added: “I’m so focused on defeating Putin.”

“I am better,” Zelensky replied. “You are much better,” Biden replied.

Biden campaign meets with senators

In an effort to unite concerned lawmakers with Biden’s team, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer held a meeting to discuss concerns and a path forward, but some senators complained they would rather hear it from the president himself. In the Senate, only Vermont’s Peter Welch called on Biden to drop out of the race.

The 90-minute conversation with the president’s team, which one person said contained no novel data, polls or game plan for how Biden would beat Trump, apparently did not change the senators’ minds. The person was granted anonymity to discuss the closed-door session.

The meeting was candid, at times livid and also a little painful because many people in the room know and love Biden, said one senator, who requested anonymity to discuss the private briefing. Senators confronted aides about Biden’s debate performance and its impact on this year’s Senate elections.

One Democrat, Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut, said later: “I think the president can win, but he has to be able to get out there and address voters’ concerns. He has to be able to talk to voters directly over the next few days.”

At the same time, influential senators are strongly supporting Biden, putting the party at an impasse.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont, told the AP that he thinks Biden “will win this election. I think he has a chance to win big.”

Sanders said he has publicly criticized the campaign and said Biden needs to talk more about the future and his plans for the country. “As we get closer to Election Day, the choices are becoming very clear,” he said.