LIVE: Biden holds first press conference since debate with Trump | NBC News

Negative
Washington DC
# president biden
# resignation

for the first month

Transform how you read and learn

Briefy turns all kinds of lengthy content into structured summaries in just 1 click. Save, review, find, and share knowledge effortlessly.

Offer expires in

23:59:59

Overview

This video shows President Biden holding a press conference during the NATO summit. This is the first press conference the president has held since the debate with former President Trump, and amid growing calls for him to withdraw from the presidential election. The president spoke about his achievements in NATO, continued support for Ukraine, and concerns about China's support for Russia. However, there are also voices pointing out his blunders in the debate and his declining health due to old age, and there are calls even within the Democratic Party for him to withdraw.

Key moments

Democratic Party concerns over President Biden's press conference
Many Democrats are concerned about President Biden's debate performance and his chances of reelection.
Democrats have no contingency plan if the incumbent president does not seek reelection.
Democratic lawmakers worry that supporting President Biden could hurt their own reelection chances in November.
Biden campaign fundraising issues
Fundraising for the Biden campaign has come to a complete halt from major donors since the debate.
The Biden campaign claims that small donations have increased since the debate, but that hasn't made up for the loss of large donations.
The Biden campaign is concerned that the drop in fundraising will have a major impact on the final stages of the campaign.
President Biden's press conference begins
President Biden spoke about the outcomes of the NATO summit and emphasized the importance of NATO.
Biden is expected to face questions about his age, health and ability to serve another four years as president.
President Biden said NATO is stronger than ever and has grown even larger with the addition of Finland and Sweden.
President Biden criticized former President Trump for not committing to NATO and telling President Putin to "do it your way."
President Biden pointed to economic indicators that show inflation is declining and prices are falling.
President Biden criticized former President Trump's proposed 10% tariffs, which he said would add $2,500 a year to the average working American family's taxes.
President Biden has accused former President Trump of sabotaging border security efforts and argued that his policies had reduced the number of illegal immigrants crossing the border.
President Biden outlined efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, release the hostages, and bring peace and stability to the Middle East.
President Biden said America is a leading and indispensable nation in the world and cannot retreat from it.
Question-and-answer session
When asked if he would seek reelection, President Biden said he believes he is the best person to run for reelection.
President Biden insisted that his mispronunciation of Zelensky's name and Putin's was not a big deal.
Regarding his legacy, President Biden said he's not in this for the legacy, but to finish the job he started.
When asked about the burden of the presidency, President Biden said it would not be a problem if he paced himself.
President Biden has been cautious about Zelensky's calls to lift restrictions on the use of American-made weapons.
In response to concerns that Europe would be isolated if former President Trump were re-elected, President Biden said he believes he is the best person to be re-elected.
President Biden said he could not publicly discuss details of his strategy to thwart cooperation between China and Russia.
Regarding the ceasefire plan between Israel and Hamas, President Biden said he was disappointed in Israel's response.
President Biden explained that he had changed his mind about what he described as a "bridge" role during the 2020 election because of the seriousness of the situation.
When asked whether developments over the next two weeks will affect his decision to run for re-election, President Biden said he is determined to run for re-election but it is important to allay people's concerns.
President Biden said he makes decisions about aid to Ukraine based on day-to-day circumstances.
When asked whether delegates to the Democratic National Convention would be able to vote according to their conscience, President Biden responded that delegates are free to do so.
Post-press conference analysis
President Biden mistakenly referred to Vice President Harris as "Vice President Trump," which the Trump campaign has mocked as evidence of age and a declining memory.
NBC News and The New York Times report that cracks are appearing in President Biden's support base.
President Biden mistakenly referred to President Zelensky as "President Putin."
The Biden camp used the press conference to try to dispel the image of his debate blunders and draw a clear contrast with former President Trump.
Regarding the possibility of undergoing a neurological test, President Biden said he would be open to getting one if his doctor recommended it.
It has emerged that the Biden campaign had asked for some of President Biden's remarks in a radio interview to be edited.
President Biden has tended to avoid direct language on abortion, which has irked some Democrats.
President Biden has made many prestigious appearances over the past two years, so the public is not accustomed to seeing him in his natural state.
After the press conference, Democratic Rep. Jim Himes said President Biden should resign.
Democratic strategist Michael Starr Hopkins predicts there could also be calls from the Congressional Black Caucus for President Biden to resign.
Republican strategist Hogan Gidley said President Biden would face serious problems if support from the Congressional Black Caucus begins to waver.
At the press conference, President Biden stated his intention to seek re-election, but also hinted at the possibility of withdrawing.
Some Democrats believe President Biden should decline to run for reelection, while others support him.
President Biden said Vice President Harris is qualified to be president.
President Biden is determined to run for reelection, but he believes it is important to address concerns raised by Democrats.
President Biden is expected to face even tougher tests ahead.
President Biden has spent the past two weeks going through a range of emotions and considering a range of options.
President Biden tends to respect the opinions of people who have run for office before.
Some of President Biden's closest advisers believe he will not win reelection and are preparing for the possibility that he might step down.