Topline
President Joe Biden referred to Vice President Kamala Harris as “Vice President Trump” in response to the first question at a closely watched press conference Thursday in which he emphasized plans to continue his reelection campaign, with the gaffe coming a little more than an hour after he referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as “President Putin.”
US President Joe Biden speaks during a press conference at the close of the 75th NATO Summit at the ... [+]
Key Facts
Biden was asked what concerns he has about Harris’ chances of defeating former President Donald Trump if the vice president replaced him on the Democratic ticket, to which Biden said, “I wouldn’t have picked Vice President Trump to be vice president [if I thought] she was not qualified to be president.”
Biden did not correct himself and chose to defend his run for president, saying he is the most qualified person to run for the position.
The president seemed to acknowledge the growing cohort of Democrats in Congress who have called on him to step aside as the nominee amid concerns about his mental acuity, while also claiming, "The idea that senators and congressmen running for office worry about the ticket is not unusual."
The president said he would only reconsider his decision to remain in the race if polling data clearly shows “there’s no way” he can win, though he acknowledged he thinks “it’s important I allay fears” of Democrats leery of his campaign by taking part in more unscripted events.
Biden said he would take another neurological exam if asked to by doctors as he faces calls from Democrats like Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., to do so.
Biden also had other verbal mishaps during the press conference including one instance in which he stumbled when saying which continent he visited while on an overseas trip—“I was told not to go over to Europe, I mean to Asia, including Europe and Asia,” the president said, before adding that he convinced South Korea to invest in computer chip manufacturing.
Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts: We’re launching text message alerts so you'll always know the biggest stories shaping the day’s headlines. Text “Alerts” to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here.
Tangent
Trump mocked the gaffe in a post on his Truth Social platform, saying: “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.’ Great job, Joe!”
Crucial Quote
"If I slow down, I can't get the job done, that's a sign that I shouldn't be doing it. But there's no indication of that yet. None," Biden said.
Surprising Fact
Biden appeared to question the validity of polls showing him losing the race to Trump, saying he sees polling of likely voters “all the time” showing him winning, though he did not reference any specific polls. Most major polls show Trump’s lead over Biden widened after last month’s debate. The president also suggested the campaign season isn’t yet in full swing, saying that may not start until “after Labor Day.”
Key Background
Biden is trailing Trump in several polls less than four months before Election Day, behind three by three points in RealClearPolitics’ polling average. The deficit has been fueled by an increasingly intense focus on Biden’s age and mental acuity from allies and critics alike, with 81% of his supporters in an ABC News/Ipsos/Washington Post poll believing he is too old to serve another term, which would end in 2029, when Biden will be 86 years old. Despite concerns about his mental acuity and calls from a growing number of Democrats to drop out, Biden has maintained he will see his reelection campaign through. Vice President Kamala Harris has emerged as Biden’s most likely replacement if the president drops out, though the exact process for replacing Biden at the top of the ticket remains highly speculative. Harris, however, performs similarly to Biden in the polls and, in some surveys, has lower numbers.
Further Reading
Biden Vs. Trump 2024 Election Polls: Most Biden Supporters Say He Should Drop Out In Latest Survey (Forbes)
Here’s What A Cognitive Test Would—And Wouldn’t—Say About Biden’s Ability To Serve As President (Forbes)
House Democrat Suggests 'Unelected Advisors' Making Country’s Decisions—Not Biden (Forbes)