United States President Joe Biden has passionately defended his foreign policy record in a critical NATO press conference that could influence the trajectory of his presidential campaign. The 81-year-old US president faced a barrage of questions on both complex international issues and his mental fitness, following a series of gaffes, including mistakenly referring to Kamala Harris as “vice-president Trump” and introducing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as “President Vladimir Putin”.
During the press conference, Biden addressed various pressing foreign policy topics, such as competition with China and the Israel-Hamas conflict. He emphasized his direct communication with Chinese President Xi Jinping, warning him against supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine, but he confirmed he had no current reason to speak with Putin. “I have no reason to speak to him right now,” Biden stated firmly.
The event, meant to showcase Biden’s capability as a leader, quickly turned into a defense of his mental acuity—a recurring theme since his debate performance against Donald Trump, which he referred to as “that dumb mistake.” Despite these challenges, Biden remained resolute, vowing to continue his campaign for re-election.
“I’ve not had any of my European allies come up and say, ‘Joe, don’t run’. What I’ve heard them say is, ‘You’ve got to win’,” Biden said, addressing concerns about his capacity to serve another term. “If I slow down and can’t get the job done, that’s a sign I shouldn’t be doing this. But there’s no indication of that. None.”
However, Biden’s assertions did little to quell the growing dissent within his party. Connecticut Congressman Jim Himes, the top-ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, openly called for Biden to step down. “We must put forth the strongest candidate possible to confront the threat posed by Trump’s promised MAGA authoritarianism. I no longer believe that is Joe Biden,” Himes wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Joining Himes, two more congressional Democrats—Representative Scott Peters of California and Representative Eric Sorensen of Illinois—also urged Biden to withdraw from the race. Peters stated, “The stakes are high, and we are on a losing course,” while Sorensen urged Biden to “put country over party.”
During his 58-minute address, which included a lengthy 50-minute unscripted question-and-answer session, Biden displayed his expertise on foreign policy but struggled with occasional missteps. On the topic of Israel and Hamas, he recounted his advice to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: “Don’t make the same mistake America made after [Osama] bin Laden. There’s no need to occupy anywhere. Go after the people who did the job.”
Addressing the European response to China’s potential support for Russia, Biden indicated a unified stance: “European countries are prepared to cut their investments in China if Xi continues to [supply] Russia with information and capacity, along with working with North Korea and others, to help Russia in armament.”
Despite these focused responses, Biden’s gaffes overshadowed his policy discussions. His slip-up involving Zelenskiy and Putin occurred during a high-profile signing ceremony, where he mistakenly introduced Zelenskiy as “President Putin” before quickly correcting himself.
The incident elicited a range of reactions from European leaders, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who appeared surprised by the blunder. French President Emmanuel Macron downplayed the significance of the mistake, stating, “Slips of the tongue happen, it’s happened to me.”
British Labour leader Keir Starmer defended Biden’s overall performance at the summit, emphasizing the positive outcomes achieved. “Look, I was with him last night. We spent the best part of an hour together. We covered a lot of ground. He’s led through all, spoken at every session, pulled people together, and we got a good outcome and I think he should give credit for that.”
As Biden concluded his remarks at the press conference, he remained defiant, asserting that he would not leave the race unless it became clear he had no chance of winning against Trump. Even with mounting pressure from within his party, Joe Biden emphasised his belief in his ability to lead: “I wouldn’t have picked vice-president Trump to be vice-president, if she’s not qualified to be president,” he mistakenly said, intending to endorse Harris’s qualifications.
