by Misty Severi
President Joe Biden held his first solo press conference since November on Thursday evening, after he concluded the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) annual summit, and amid increased concern over his physical and mental fitness.
The president, who spoke at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, is facing growing pressure to end his quest for another term in the White House, after a lackluster debate performance last week emphasized Biden’s age and mental capabilities.
Biden has been firm about remaining in the race, and dismissed the debate performance was a “bad episode.”
During his opening statements in the press conference, Biden reflected on the NATO summit and its successes, but slammed his opponent and predecessor former President Donald Trump’s devotion to the 32-member alliance.
“My predecessor has made it clear he has no commitment to NATO,” Biden said. ‘He’s made it clear that he would feel no obligation to honor article five [and] already told Putin, I quote, ‘do whatever the hell you want.’ In fact, the day after Putin invaded Ukraine, here’s what he said, ‘it was genius. It was wonderful.’ Some of you forgot that, but that’s exactly what he said.”
Biden also spoke about China’s relationship with Russia, and the U.S.’s relationship with China, including in the aftermath of a Chinese spy balloon that traveled across the United States last year, claiming that the U.S. military now has direct access to China.
The president also denied reports that he needed to go to bed earlier, stating that it “wasn’t true” and that he’s had many days since the debate where he’s been up late.
“Look, what I said was, instead of my every day starting at seven and going to bed at midnight, it’d be smarter for me to pace myself a little more,” Biden told reporters. “And I said … instead of starting a fundraiser nine o’clock, start at eight o’clock. People get to go home at 10 o’clock. That’s what I’m talking about … And if you looked at my schedule since … I made that stupid mistake in the campaign, in the debate. I mean, my schedule has been full.”
Biden addressed the concerns about his age, but doubled down on his commitment to remaining the presumptive Democratic nominee for president.
“I’m determined on running, but I think it’s important that I relay fears by letting them see me out there,” Biden said. “For the longest time it was, you know, Biden’s not prepared to sit with us unscripted … So what I’m doing is, and I’ve been doing, I think we’ve done, over 20 major events, from Wisconsin to North Carolina to demonstrate that I’m going out into the areas where [we] think we can win.”
The president’s last solo press conference took place eight months ago in California, when he answered questions about his summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to the Associated Press.
Watch the full press conference:
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Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just the News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.
