President Joe Biden held a rare solo press conference on Thursday night with the intention of reassuring the Democratic Party that he remains a viable candidate—but after yet another series of gaffes and on-camera flubs, his fellow Democrats seem less convinced than ever. During the conference, the president’s first solo presser since November, Biden’s coughing, slurred speech, and seeming inability to remember his own vice president’s name did little to instill confidence in his voter base.
Biden’s problems began when the press conference was delayed by over an hour, bumping the event to 6:30. This followed a NATO conference earlier in the day, during which Biden accidentally referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as “President Putin.”
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After quickly making his way through opening remarks that served as a campaign speech against former President Donald Trump, Biden took questions from pre-screened reporters—a fact he confirmed by admitting that he’d “been given a list of people to call on here.”
Biden: "With that, I'll take your questions. I've been given a list of people to call on here." pic.twitter.com/nWZsZF9My1
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) July 11, 2024
One of the first questions asked whether Biden would step aside and allow Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him were polling data to show that she had a better chance of winning. At this point, Biden seemed to confuse his vice president with his current Republican challenger.
“I wouldn’t have picked Vice President Trump to be vice president did I think she’s not qualified to be president,” he replied, seemingly without noticing his mistake.
As he spoke, an alternative camera angle captured the reactions of several cabinet members watching from the audience.
The president then proceeded to snap at reporters who asked about America’s standing on the world stage, laugh at questions about his rumored 8 p.m. bedtime, and deny any need for further cognitive examination.
Biden freaks out at a reporter for asking him about referring to Zelensky as "President Putin."
NOT A GOOD LOOK, CROOKED JOE! pic.twitter.com/qrexZ6WGlI
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) July 11, 2024
Biden laughs in a reporter's face for asking why he said he needs to stop scheduling events after 8p because he's too tired — then claims he needs to "pace" himself.
FACT: Biden has spent more time on vacation than any president in modern history. pic.twitter.com/Ai2wmo6u4r
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) July 11, 2024
Thursday’s event—which White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre repeatedly called a “big boy” press conference—was intended to assuage fears of Biden’s cognitive decline following his disastrous debate performance last month. In the wake of the president’s first televised debate in nearly four years, Democratic lawmakers and prominent media outlets have begun calling on him to drop out and allow a more viable candidate to take his place. According to several party insiders, while many Democrats feel as though the press conference was “not a disaster,” it was also “not a home run,” with one source saying “We’re still stuck in purgatory.”
Connor Walcott is a staff writer for Valuetainment.com. Follow Connor on X and look for him on VT’s “The Unusual Suspects.”
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