Amid strong calls for resignation following the first televised presidential debate, U.S. President Joe Biden reaffirmed his intention to complete the November presidential race, stating, "I believe I am the most suitable person to run for president."
On the 11th (local time), the final day of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit, President Biden held a solo press conference in Washington, D.C., saying, "I have already beaten him (Republican candidate and former President Donald Trump) once, and I will beat him again."
He emphasized, "There is still a long way to go in the presidential campaign," adding, "I will keep moving because there is still much to be done." He further stated, "We (the Biden administration) have created more than 800,000 manufacturing jobs. Workers still need help, and corporate greed remains significant."
The press conference was regarded as a critical turning point in determining President Biden's future as the Democratic presidential candidate. Facing intense pressure to resign after last month's first televised debate, President Biden aimed to demonstrate his resilience and dispel concerns about his age and cognitive decline through this unscripted press conference.
However, just hours before the press conference, President Biden made a fatal mistake by introducing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as "President Putin (Russian President Vladimir Putin)," putting him back under scrutiny. This moment was simultaneously reported during prime-time news by major U.S. broadcasters such as ABC, CBS, and NBC.
When asked about this during the press conference, President Biden laughed off the mistake, saying, "I was talking about President Putin." He also attempted to change the subject by asking, "Is there anyone who says the NATO summit was not very successful?"
During the press conference, he also confused Vice President Kamala Harris with former President Trump. When asked if he was concerned whether Vice President Harris could defeat former President Trump if she ran as a presidential candidate, he responded, "If I thought she was not qualified to be president, I would not have chosen 'Vice President Trump' as vice president."
Regarding last month's televised debate, where he stammered and failed to articulate sentences clearly, he dismissed it as a "mistake." While denying reports that he said he needed to go to bed early to perform his presidential duties, President Biden acknowledged his physical limitations by stating, "Instead of starting at 7 a.m. and finishing at midnight every day, it would be wiser to pace the day a little more."
On this day, President Biden also launched an offensive against his rival, former President Trump, stating that NATO is "essential to U.S. security." He said, "Former President Trump has no commitment to NATO," adding, "He already told President Putin, 'Do whatever you want.'" He continued, "I will not withdraw from Ukraine. I will keep NATO strong," emphasizing, "That is exactly what we have done and what we will continue to do."
President Biden mocked former President Trump by saying that during his term, Trump "did virtually nothing," spending his time "riding a golf cart and keeping scorecards."
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