Biden Draws Mixed Reviews for Rare Solo Press Conference
Summary from the AllSides News Team
President Joe Biden fielded questions from reporters at a press conference Thursday night amid intense scrutiny over his remaining in the presidential race.
Key Details: Towards the beginning of the press conference – a rare, unscripted solo appearance for the president – Biden mistakenly referred to Kamala Harris as “Vice President Trump.” As many reporters pressed him with incisive questions about his campaign’s troubles with allies and voters, Biden strongly reaffirmed his commitment to stay in the race.
Biden’s Missteps Widely Covered: Outlets from across the spectrum prominently highlighted the Harris-Trump blunder; many also tied it to a moment earlier in the day when he confused Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy with Russian president Vladimir Putin. Reuters (Center bias) called some of Biden’s answers “garbled,” and CNBC (Center) said he “appeared to lose his train of thought several times.” New York Times (Lean Left) and National Review News (Lean Right) both noted that Biden began the press conference reading prepared remarks from a teleprompter. New York Post (Lean Right) said “Biden spoke with a soft, raspy voice, frequently paused to cough, and at points lost his train of thought” in the “error-laden” performance.
Some Mixed Reviews From the Left: The Times called Biden’s answers “sometimes shaky,” but said he “demonstrated a command of foreign policy.” CNN (Lean Left) called Biden’s performance “a Rorschach test for nervous Democrats” and predicted that it “likely won’t change many minds.”
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Center
Biden loses his train of thought, calls Harris ‘Vice President Trump’ in solo press conference![AllSides Media Bias Rating: Center AllSides Media Bias Rating: Center](https://www.allsides.com/sites/default/files/bias-center.png)
![](https://www.allsides.com/sites/default/files/styles/feature_image_300x200/public/108004987-1720745899312-108004987-17207415412024-07-11t234300z_1325400493_rc26t8awppan_rtrmadp_0_nato-summit-biden.webp?itok=nPpIdIK3)
President Joe Biden on Thursday mistakenly referred to Vice President Kamala Harris as “Vice President Trump” in the opening question of his highly-anticipated solo press conference in Washington.
“Look, I wouldn’t have picked Vice President Trump to be vice president [if] I think she’s not qualified to be president,” Biden said, confusing his second-in-command with his November election opponent, former President Donald Trump.
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...
From the Left
Takeaways from Biden’s critical solo news conference![AllSides Media Bias Rating: Lean Left AllSides Media Bias Rating: Lean Left](https://www.allsides.com/sites/default/files/bias-leaning-left.png)
President Biden delivered a series of sometimes shaky answers to questions from reporters during a nearly hourlong news conference Thursday, but he also demonstrated a command of foreign policy and avoided repeating the worst moments of the presidential debate two weeks ago that set off turmoil within his party.
After initially reading from a teleprompter then repeating his vow to stay in the race, Mr. Biden tried to defuse some questions about his age and fitness for office, but at one point fumbled a question about Vice President Kamala Harris,...
From the Right
Biden's high-stakes solo press conference slammed from the right as 'another disaster'![AllSides Media Bias Rating: Right AllSides Media Bias Rating: Right](https://www.allsides.com/sites/default/files/bias-right.png)
![](https://www.allsides.com/sites/default/files/styles/feature_image_300x200/public/Z1.jpg?itok=DBDMK_Fb)
President Biden's highly anticipated solo press conference Thursday evening was panned as a "disaster" on social media by conservatives, who criticized the president for a performance that they said featured Biden stumbling through answers to reporters' questions about foreign policy and the 2024 presidential race.
"This NATO press conference with Biden is another disaster. It is inexplicable the people advising this man continue to think that somehow he's not going to humiliate himself and this country. Why do they continue to allow this to happen?" Fox News contributor Tammy Bruce posted on X...
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