Key Takeaways from Biden’s NATO News Conference: Verbal Missteps and Resolute Defiance

President Joe Biden delivered a spirited news conference on the final day of the NATO summit in Washington, DC, aiming to address concerns about his age and ability to lead.

“I’m committed to finishing this job because the stakes are high,” Biden assured reporters.

However, the 81-year-old Democrat faced criticism for several verbal slips during the Q&A session, raising further doubts about his performance.

Biden is currently in a heated race for a second term in the White House, but his poll numbers have declined following a lackluster performance in the first 2024 presidential debate against Republican rival Donald Trump.

Amid calls from some Democrats for him to step aside and make way for a younger candidate, Biden’s supporters framed Thursday’s NATO news conference as an opportunity for him to demonstrate vigor and leadership on the global stage.

“My schedule has been relentless. Where has Trump been? Riding on his golf cart?” Biden quipped.

The stakes were high for Biden at the news conference. Earlier on Thursday, the number of congressional Democrats publicly urging Biden to withdraw from the race reached 11.

Hours before the briefing, Michigan Representative Hillary Scholten became the 10th House Democrat to call on Biden to end his reelection bid. The day before, Vermont Senator Peter Welch also urged Biden to suspend his campaign.

Despite intense scrutiny, Thursday’s news conference was informally dubbed the “big boy” news conference, a nickname that circulated online and in late-night comedy ahead of the event.

At the White House earlier in the week, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre acknowledged the term, crediting Bloomberg’s Justin Sink, but stressed the gravity of the speech, emphasizing that the president aimed to showcase the “unprecedented strength of our alliance” with NATO.

How did it unfold? Here are the key highlights from Biden’s news conference.

Biden Introduces Ukraine’s Zelenskyy as President Putin Even before his speech began, Biden stumbled.

Less than an hour before the news conference, Biden mistakenly referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as Russian President Vladimir Putin, his adversary on the battlefield.

“And now I’d like to introduce the President of Ukraine, who possesses as much courage as determination. Ladies and gentlemen, President Putin,” Biden said, gesturing towards Zelenskyy.

Quickly correcting himself, Biden joked, “President Putin? He’d beat President Putin!”

Zelenskyy took the gaffe in stride, laughing it off. Several world leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, came to Biden’s defense.

“Slips of the tongue happen, and if you monitor everyone closely, you’ll find enough of them,” Scholz told the press at the summit.

Since 2022, Russia has led a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a prominent topic during this week’s NATO summit.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg pledged that Ukraine was on an “irreversible path to membership” in the military alliance, despite threats from Russia.

Earlier in the summit, Biden announced a “historic donation of air defense equipment for Ukraine” in a speech on Tuesday.

Speech Takes Aim at Trump’s NATO Criticism The news conference commenced after a brief delay, with Biden approaching the podium and greeting with a casual “hey buddy,” followed by a noticeable throat-clearing.

During his prepared remarks, Biden directly addressed his Republican rival, Trump.

The former president has long criticized NATO, arguing that the US bears an unfair burden of alliance costs.

Reports suggest Trump has privately threatened to withdraw the US from NATO, potentially destabilizing the alliance.

“NATO emerged from the ruins of World War II,” Biden stated. “It was designed as a coalition of free democratic nations committed to a pact of collective defense. By staying united, we knew we’d all be safer.”

He warned that Trump would undermine collective security. “Every American must ask themselves: Is NATO making the world safer? Are you safer? Is your family safer? I believe the answer to these questions is yes.”

Biden also suggested that Trump, if re-elected, would fail to uphold Article 5 of the NATO treaty, which mandates member states to defend each other if attacked.

“He’s already told Putin — and I quote — ‘do whatever the hell you want,'” Biden remarked. “But I’ve made it clear: A strong NATO is crucial for American security, and I consider the commitment of Article 5 sacred.”

Biden Mistakenly Calls Kamala Harris ‘Trump’ At the conclusion of his prepared remarks, Biden announced a list of reporters he would take questions from during the Q&A session.

His performance became somewhat uneven as he fielded repeated questions about his ability to represent the Democratic Party in the upcoming election.

Biden, who has struggled with a stutter, exhibited it in several responses to reporters.

In a notable slip, he accidentally referred to his Vice President, Kamala Harris, as Trump.

“I wouldn’t have picked Vice President Trump if she weren’t capable of being President. So, let’s start there,” Biden said.

It was a moment Trump swiftly seized upon on social media, also mocking Biden’s speech impediment: “Crooked Joe: ‘I’m following the advice of my commander-in-chief … my … my … my …'”

Nonetheless, Biden remained defiant in response to criticisms about his age and ability to lead during the news conference.

“I believe I’m the most qualified person to run for president,” he declared. Regarding Trump, Biden added, “I defeated him once, and I’ll defeat him again.”

When asked how he would reassure the American public, Biden replied, “The best way to reassure them is the best way to reassure myself. Am I getting the job done?”

Biden Acknowledges Other Democratic Contenders While Biden asserted his position as the presumptive Democratic nominee, he acknowledged there were other contenders capable of challenging Trump.

“There are others who could defeat Trump as well. But starting anew is incredibly difficult,” Biden acknowledged.

He also praised Vice President Harris, his running mate and a figure often mentioned as a potential successor should he withdraw from the race.

“She’s a formidable prosecutor. She was outstanding in the Senate. I wouldn’t have chosen her if I didn’t believe she was qualified to be president,” Biden remarked.

“As I’ve said from the beginning, she’s qualified to be president. That’s why I selected her.”

As the news conference drew to a close, reporters pressed Biden on what would prompt him to exit the race: Could his advisers dissuade him?

“No, unless they came back and said there’s absolutely no way you can win,” Biden replied in a hushed tone. “No one’s saying that. No poll suggests that.”

US Election Casts a Shadow However Biden’s performance was received, the tight race for the White House loomed over this week’s NATO summit, with allies expressing both concern and uncertainty.

Stoltenberg, the outgoing NATO secretary-general, referred to the NATO alliance as “resilient” despite fears that a Trump presidency could weaken it.

“Questions have often been raised about whether new governments, new political parties, will support NATO,” Stoltenberg acknowledged on Thursday. “And of course, in democracies, there are no guarantees.”

Earlier in the week, Zelenskyy acknowledged that “everyone is waiting for November” to see how the US election unfolds — including Russian President Putin.

However, he urged world leaders to act now, regardless of the election outcome.

“It’s time to step forward, to implement strong decisions, to act and not wait for November or any other month,” Zelenskyy emphasized during his speech at the Ronald Reagan Institute on Tuesday.

The election, scheduled for November 5, will see Biden and Trump face off in a rematch of the 2020 race. Following the news conference, Biden is set to campaign in the battleground state of Michigan on Friday.