Highlights from Biden’s high-stakes news conference, where he vowed to remain in the race

A defiant US president dug in, but name gaffes highlighted 2024 election concerns

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US President Joe Biden at his closely watched press conference. Photo: Reuters

Published: 10:36am, 12 Jul 2024Updated: 11:38am, 12 Jul 2024

US Joe Biden faced a test Thursday that he had avoided so far this year – a solo news conference with questions from the White House press corps.

The news conference was meant to reassure a disheartened group of Democratic lawmakers, allies and persuadable voters in this year’s election that Biden still has the strength and stamina to be president.

Biden has tried to defend his feeble and tongue-tied performance in the June 27 debate against Republican Donald Trump as an outlier rather than evidence that at 81 he lacks the vigour and commanding presence that the public expects from the commander in chief.

He made at least two notable flubs, referring at an event beforehand to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as “President Putin” and then calling Kamala Harris “Vice-President Trump” when asked about her by a reporter.

But he also gave detailed responses about his work to preserve Nato and his plans for a second term. And he insisted he’s not leaving the race even as a growing number of Democratic lawmakers ask him to step aside.

Here are some highlights from the press conference:

01:04

US President Biden confuses Harris for Trump, Zelensky for Putin amid campaign scrutiny