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 during the press conference.
Biden joined the media Thursday afternoon while wrapping up a NATO summit in the nation's capital, where the president made a series of gaffes, including confusing Vice President Kamala Harris with former President Donald Trump, trailing off while answering a question, and announcing to the room that he had a list of reporters he would call on.
"This press conference is a disaster. Joe Biden is not answering the questions," Fox News contributor Leo Terrell posted on X during the press conference.
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"Crooked Joe begins his ‘Big Boy’ Press Conference with, "I wouldn't have picked Vice President Trump to be vice president, though I think she was not qualified to be president." Great job, Joe!" Trump added on Truth Social.
Conservatives and critics of the president unleashed on Biden's press conference.
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Biden's press conference comes as he faces heightened concerns over his health in the wake of his poor debate performance late last month, which opened floodgates of concern in the Democratic Party that the president's 81 years of age and alleged slipping mental acuity will cost the party as the Biden campaign squares up against Trump.
Biden has vowed to remain in the race despite rising concerns and calls for him to drop out and let another candidate take on Trump.
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"There’s been a lot of speculation: What’s Joe going to do? Is he going to stay in the race? Is he going to drop out? What's he going to do?" Biden said Friday in a speech in Madison, Wisconsin. "Well, here’s my answer: I am running and going to win again."
As speculation and calls for Biden to drop out, former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said earlier this week that Democrats are keeping their thoughts on Biden quiet "until we see how we go this week."
"Let’s just hold off," she said on MSNBC. "Whatever you’re thinking, either tell somebody privately, but you don’t have to put that out on the table until we see how we go this week."
Thursday marks the first time Biden has held a solo press conference since November of last year.
