Biden fields questions about fitness to run for president in 2024: “I’ve gotta finish this job”

President Biden insisted during a solo press conference Thursday night that he’s here to “finish the job,” continuing to defy the pleas from a growing number of Democrats to step down from the Democratic ticket. 

At the conclusion of the NATO summit in Washington, D.C., the president faced his biggest test since last month’s unsteady debate performance, which caused alarm among Democrats on Capitol Hill and raised concerns about whether he should be the party’s 2024 presidential nominee. He had a couple of verbal stumbles but during the news conference exhibited command of the complex foreign policy issues facing the U.S.

Whether he’s doing enough to convince Democrats of his fitness remains to be seen. CBS News reported Thursday evening that dozens of Democrats are prepared to issue statements in the next 48 hours calling on Mr. Biden to step down, according to four sources.

At the news conference, the president, asked whether his delegates could vote for someone else, said they were “free to do whatever they want.” 

“If they say they want somebody else, that’s the Democratic process,” he said, adding in a whisper that “it’s not gonna happen.” 

The president has acknowledged he had what he says was a “bad night” at the debate and he has been trying to prove he can be the nominee and defeat former President Donald Trump. He didn’t help his case when, at an event before the press conference, he introduced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “President Putin,” to the shock of other world leaders. 

The president soon realized his error and corrected himself, retaking the podium. “I’m so focused on beating Putin,” Mr. Biden explained. 

The president has always been prone to gaffes — but on Thursday night, he could little afford them. 

What questions did Biden answer during his news conference?

Biden says Harris is “qualified to be president — that’s why I picked her”  

 As he began to take questions, the president stumbled almost immediately. 

Mr. Biden was asked what concerns he has about the ability of Vice President Kamala Harris to beat Trump if she were at the top of the ticket. 

“Look, I wouldn’t have picked Vice President Trump to be vice president if I didn’t think she was qualified to be vice president,” he responded.

Asked about Harris’ qualifications later, Mr. Biden said she is “qualified to be president — that’s why I picked her.” 

“First of all, the way she’s handled the issue of freedom of women’s bodies, to have control over their bodies,” he said. “Secondly, her ability to handle almost any issue on the board. This is a hell of a prosecutor.”

Biden says running is not about his legacy 

CBS News chief White House correspondent Nancy Cordes asked Mr. Biden if he’s thought about what it would mean for his legacy if he were to stay in the race only to then lose to Trump. 

“I’m not in this for my legacy,” the president replied. “I’m in this to complete the job I started.”

The president pointed to the strength of the economy, and how inflation has stabilized. 

Biden says he should pace himself “a little more” 

He also took a question about a report that he had told Democratic governors he wanted to limit events past 8 p.m. because he needs more sleep. He insisted that wasn’t the case. 

“What I said was, instead of my every day starting at 7 a.m. and going to bed at midnight, it would be smarter for me to pace myself a little more,” he said. “And I said for example … instead of starting a fundraiser at 9 [p.m.], start it at 8 [p.m.]. People get to go home by 10 [p.m.]. That’s what I’m talking about.”

He urged reporters to look at his schedule since the debate. “My schedule has been full bore,” he said. 

Biden once saw himself as “bridge” to new generation. What changed? 

In 2020, one reporter pointed out, Mr. Biden referred to himself as a “bridge” candidate to a younger, newer generation of Democratic leaders. What changed, she asked him. He touted his accomplishments “more than most any president since Johnson,” and his “wisdom on how to deal with the Congress to get things done.” He indicated that he felt he wasn’t done with the job.

Referring to the threat he says that Donald Trump and the conservative-majority Supreme Court pose to democracy, Mr. Biden said, “We have never been here before. That is why I didn’t hand off to another generation —I have to finish this job because there’s so much at stake.”

Still, the president acknowledged Thursday night that another Democrat could beat Trump. 

“I believe I’m the best qualified to govern,” he said. “And I think I’m the best qualified to win. But there are other people who could beat Trump, too. But it’s awful hard to start from scratch.”

Will he be ready to deal with foreign leaders like Putin and Xi in three years?

“I’m ready to deal with them now,” the president said, “and three years from now.” He noted that he has “no good reason” to talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin right now, but deals with Chinese President Xi Jinping “right now.”  

“I’m in direct contact with him,” Mr. Biden said. He spoke of reestablishing contact with Xi after the U.S. shot down a Chinese spy balloon traveling across the U.S. and ensuring China understood that there would be an economic cost to working with North Korea to help Russia with armament.

Biden points to the success of the NATO summit 

The president opend the press conference by touting the successes of the NATO conference.

“For those who thought NATO’s time had passed, they got a rude awakening when Putin invaded Ukraine,” he said. He also sought to contrast himself with Trump. 

“My predecessor has made it clear he has no commitment to NATO,” Mr. Biden said. 

He made the case for his candidacy by arguing that people should look at what he’s accomplished. He asked a reporter to name a more successful NATO summit than this one. 

“The idea anybody suggests that we haven’t had an incredibly successful conference, how many times did you hear, in that conference — I know it sounds too self serving — but other leaders, heads of state, in thanking me, and saying the reason we’re together is because of Biden?” he said. 

Mr. Biden has consistently urged Europe and countries outside of Europe to unite and stand for Ukraine. 

What spurred this concern about Biden’s campaign?

During the debate, Mr. Biden, 81, stumbled early, flubbing lines as his voice appeared ready to give out. His campaign later said he was suffering from a cold. His voice never recovered throughout the 90-minute debate, he failed to effectively respond to a number of false statements made by Trump during the debate, and at times he lost his train of thought. At one point, he struggled to name Medicare when answering a question about the tax rate for wealthy Americans, and then said that “we finally beat Medicare.” 

Mr. Biden’s campaign had hoped to allay concerns about his age with the early debate, but instead, that performance is now threatening his political future.

Recently, he raised the NATO summit as a test of his fitness for office.

“Who’s going to be able to hold NATO together like me,” the president challenged ABC’s George Stephanopoulos in an interview last week. He added, “You’re going to have now the NATO conference here in the United States next week. Come listen. See what they say.”

The president has declined to agree to take a in-depth neurocognitive test, telling Stephanopoulos that every day in office is a cognitive test.

“I’m running the world,” the president said. 

Aside from the ABC News interview, the president has largely relied on teleprompters to deliver speeches. Some Democrats say they want to see the president in unscripted appearances and events. 

What happened at the NATO summit?

Russia’s war on Ukraine continued to be a key theme for NATO, as Mr. Biden and other world leaders made the case that Russia won’t stop at Ukraine. The president announced air defense equipment will be given to Ukraine by the U.S., Germany, the Netherlands, Romania and Italy. In the coming months, the U.S. and its  partners will provide Ukraine with dozens of additional tactical air defense systems, he said. 

Latest information about the president’s health

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said this week that the president has not been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease or any other serious neurological disorder. 

On Tuesday, Jean-Pierre said Walter Reed neurologist Dr. Kevin Cannard’s January visit to the White House was not for the purpose of treating the president. But on Tuesday night, the Associated Press reported that Cannard visited Mr. Biden at the White House in January. Jean-Pierre then released a statement saying that Cannard had in fact met with the president at the White House in January, but only as a part of his annual physical, the rest of which was completed in February.

The White House and the president say he’s up for another four years on the job, despite concerns from voters and some Democrats. 

How is Biden polling against Trump?

CBS News polling shows Mr. Biden has slipped slightly in head-to-head polling against Trump, although within the margin of error. Trump now has a 3-point edge over Mr. Biden across the battleground states collectively, and a 2-point edge nationally. That’s due in part to Democrats saying they’re less likely than Republicans to “definitely” vote. 

Mr. Biden has cast doubt on polling and his low approval numbers. When Stephanopoulos said he’s never seen a president reelected with a 36% approval rating, the president retorted that he doesn’t believe the number.

“Well, I don’t believe that’s my approval rating,” the president told Stephanopoulos. “That’s not what our polls show,” though he declined to provide any specific numbers.

Kristin Brown contributed to this report.