(The Center Square) – In his first news conference since his critically panned debate performance two weeks ago, President Joe Biden on Thursday made numerous mistakes while talking for about an hour. He answered questions from 10 hand-picked reporters focused mostly on his fitness for office, but included issues such as the conflicts in Israel and Ukraine.
“I’ve been given a list of people to call on here,” Biden said when the Q&A portion of his news conference began, later mistakenly referring to Vice President Kamala Harris as “Vice President Trump.”
News outlets since Biden’s performance in the late June debate against former President Donald Trump have reported that Biden is tightly controlled by White House staff, some saying as efforts to hide the president’s cognitive decline. Because of Biden’s recent gaffes, many Democrats have called on Biden to step aside and allow the party to choose another candidate to run against Trump in November. Biden has been defiant, insisting he will stay in the race.
“I’m not in this for my legacy. I’m in this to complete the job that I started,” Biden said after he was asked whether his refusals to back out of the race might backfire and cost the Democratic Party the Oval Office, as well as down ballot races in Congress. Republicans hold a slight majority in the U.S. House, and Democrats in the Senate. Either or both could flip in November, depending on voter sentiment.
When asked if Harris was ready to become president if Biden did decide to step aside, the president said, “I wouldn’t have picked Vice President Trump to be vice president if I think she’s not qualified to be president. Let’s start there.”
Trump quickly mocked Biden for the flub on his Truth Social account.
“Crooked Joe begins his ‘Big Boy’ Press Conference with, ‘I wouldn’t have picked Vice President Trump to be vice president, though I think she was not qualified to be president,” Trump posted. “Good job, Joe.”
Biden also lost his train of thought several times during the news conference, ending his answers with “well, anyway” without finishing his response.
When asked if he was capable of performing the job of the presidency for another four years, Biden said he was but, “I’ve just got to pace myself more.”
Earlier in the day, Biden mistakenly called Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “President Putin” during an introduction. Vladimir Putin is president of Russia, which invaded Ukraine more than two years ago.
Biden’s news conference came after he addressed the NATO summit on Thursday, highlighting the U.S.’ commitment to providing aid to Ukraine and the importance of unity among NATO members. Biden hosted the summit and the various world leaders in Washington, D.C. this week.
When asked during the news conference if he would reconsider the U.S. allowing Ukraine to use U.S. weapons in its war with Russia, Biden mistakenly said, ““I’m following the advice of my commander-in-chief.” As president, Biden is commander-in-chief of the U.S. military. He soon followed, “My, the chief of staff of the military, as well as the secretary of defense and our intelligence people.”
NATO is now 75 years old and holds the position as the world’s most powerful and far-reaching deterrence pact.
“The fact that NATO remains the bulwark of global security did not happen by accident,” Biden said at the summit’s opening ceremony Wednesday. “It wasn’t inevitable. Again and again, at critical moments, we chose unity over disunion, progress over retreat, freedom over tyranny and hope over fear. Again and again, we stood behind our shared vision of a peaceful and prosperous Transatlantic community.”
According to the U.S. Defense Department, NATO has provided at least $175 billion to Ukraine, including guns, fighter jets, ammunition and training.
Trump has long been critical of the alliance, highlighting an over-reliance on U.S. monetary aid and defense funding.
Trump’s threats of non-protection over members not paying their dues has many in Europe worried about his commitment to the alliance.
“‘If we don’t pay, are you still going to protect us?’ I said ‘absolutely not,'” Trump said at a campaign rally in South Carolina, remarking an interaction he had with one supposed member president.
Though a unilateral withdrawal from the alliance is not possible, there has been speculation about plans that would restructure the alliance so as to rely less on U.S. funding and defense platforms.
Is there any doubt that this corrupt, demented Joe Biden has just been a puppet to the Democrat Party’s elite for the last 3.5 years? Who have made all of the destructive and disastrous agendas, decisions and policies for puppet Biden who just obediently obeyed his masters.
Not unless you’re a rabid anti-trumper, like most on the view seem to be.
Democrat, Socialist, Communist, President, Joe Biden,” …Age and Wisdom, come Hand-in-Hand Sometimes Age Comes ALONE…”
AUTHOR UNKNOW
A few mistakes, self corrected, are preferable to the unchecked multiple lies Trump spews. Biden has experience and knowledge that are pertinent to foreign affairs and preservation of democracy. Trump is a master at stirring up hate and fear in gullible audiences. He never offers any well developed, detailed plans. It is always the vague “Trust me. I’ll get it done”. Rational, reasonable voters would do well to steer clear of the snake oil salesman.
“I’ve been given a list of people to call on here,”
Don’t understand why Republicans say these pressers are all staged ?!?
A random draw from among the many who wanted to ask a question would not be “staged”, simply making a reasonable limit to the number of questions in the allotted time.
“I’m not in this for my legacy. I’m in this to complete the job that I started,” Biden said
So…your legacy.
Keep runnin’ Joe! You’re making it clearer and clearer you don’t have what it takes and everyone else sees it.
THis Quote by former Republican President Ronald Reagan when he first ran for office in-1984, ” I will not make AGE an issue of this Campaign. I Am not going to exploit, for Political Purpose, my opponents youth and Inexperience,…Ronald Reagan quipped during the 1984 Presidential debates when asked if, at 73, if he … Was he is too old to be President- …”
I remember those days, and how the left was SO EAGER TO MAKE age an issue.
BUT NOW DAYS< you dare question bidens age, and you must be a conspiracy nut or something….