Was this ‘big boy’ press conference worse for Joe Biden than the debate against President Trump?
When asked about Kamala Harris’ ability to take on Trump if she was the presidential candidate, Biden called her “Vice President Trump.”
“I wouldn’t have picked Vice President Trump to be vice president if I didn’t think she was qualified to be president,” Biden said.
WATCH:
🚨#BREAKING: President Joe Biden has just confused Kamala Harris with former President Trump, referring to him as the Vice President while answering a question at the press conference. pic.twitter.com/1D8sGrP5pU
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) July 11, 2024
The look on the faces of Biden Cabinet officials says it all.
WATCH:
Reaction from Biden’s top cabinet officials: 🤦♂️ https://t.co/Kldno5XAbS pic.twitter.com/DuLWfrMgf9
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) July 12, 2024
“Great job, Joe!” Donald Trump responded.
From the New York Post:
President Biden stunned journalists Thursday by confusing Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump at a closely watched press conference — shortly after he mixed up Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky at a different event.
“Look, I wouldn’t have picked Vice President Trump to be vice president if I think she’s not qualified to be president,” the 81-year-old said to gasps and groans from journalists at the annual NATO summit.
Biden spoke in a soft, raspy voice, frequently paused to cough, and at points lost his train of thought at what his aides had promoted as a “big boy press conference” at Washington’s Convention Center.
The event had been called to dispel mounting Democratic clamor for Biden to step aside after a confused June 27 debate against Trump — but the commander-in-chief ended up compounding those concerns by making contradictory remarks, forgetting questions and giving rambling answers that didn’t directly address the subject he had been asked about.
Trump, the 78-year-old presumptive Republican nominee, quickly ridiculed his successor in a statement on social media.
He's SHOT! pic.twitter.com/GiCyCnVEcq
— DailyNoah.com (@DailyNoahNews) July 11, 2024
Here’s a picture of Vice President Trump and President Putin:
A beautiful picture of Vice President Trump and President Putin. pic.twitter.com/UV70HHRIfI
— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) July 11, 2024
A different picture of VP Trump:
Vice President Trump pic.twitter.com/sBQnjFg8tt
— greg (@greg16676935420) July 11, 2024
Per CNBC:
A reporter pointed out Biden’s mistake in the final question of the press conference, asking the president to comment on the blunder after Trump used it to mock him. Biden smiled to himself and replied, “Listen to him,” before walking off stage.
Thursday’s press conference was billed as the best opportunity for Biden to prove to Democrats that could handle tough questions and think on his feet in an unscripted environment.
Pressure for Biden to drop out of the 2024 race has escalated for weeks, following his disastrous debate performance against Trump on June 27 and his campaign’s subsequent failure to assuage voters’ concerns about his health.
It quickly became clear that Biden’s hourlong press conference did not put Democrats’ concerns to rest, however.
Four minutes after he walked off stage, Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, released a statement calling on Biden to exit the race.
Shortly afterwards, Rep. Scott Peters, D-Calif., did the same. “The stakes are high, and we are on a losing course,” Peters said in a statement.
Watch the full press conference: