Biden defends candidacy in lengthy news conference amid more calls to drop out: Highlights (2024)

Biden expounds on policy while his party frets over his delivery

Peter Nicholas

Megan Lebowitz

Peter Nicholas and Megan Lebowitz

Democrats' reviews of Biden's performance at the news conference were a mixed bag this evening, a notable departure from the reaction to last month's debate.

A Democratic strategist who thought tonight went well said the president "sort of sounded like Biden of 2022.”

However, the source added that "this boat has taken on so much water. This still is really up in the air, honestly.”

NBC News’ Peter Alexander recalls Biden’s mistakenly calling Vice President Kamala Harris “Vice President Trump” at the start of his news conference and breaks down his responses to questions on various important topics.

Rep. Eric Sorensen, a vulnerable Democrat in Illinois, said after Biden's news conference tonight that he thinks the president should abandon his re-election bid.

“In 2020, Joe Biden ran for President with the purpose of putting country over party. Today,I am asking him to do that again,” Sorensen wrote in a statement.He went on to say that he's “hopeful President Biden will step aside in his campaign for President.”

Sorensen expressed uncertainty yesterday over Biden's presidential bid. Asked whether Biden was the best person to lead, he told NBC News, "Well, I think it remains to be seen. Well, we’ll have to wait and see, and I think that we’ll know that here soon."

Sorensen won the seat of former Democratic Congressional Campaign Committeechair Cheri Bustos in 2022.

Several Democrats tonight vouched their support for Biden after his news conference, even as some of their colleagues called on him to step aside following tonight's remarks.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., praised Biden on X, saying he was "demonstrating how a world leader with his hand firmly on the tiller of our ship of state, manages the country, U.S. national security interests and the naysayers."

Asked in a CNN interview about whether Biden's news conference had convinced Democrats and American voters that he should remain in the race, Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., said, “I think convinced a lot of people that he should stay in the race," adding that Biden had spoken "so knowledgeably" about foreign policy.

Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., a longtime Biden ally and campaign co-chair, said on X, "No one is more prepared to lead our nation forward than Joe Biden."

More than a dozen House Democrats have now publicly asked Biden to drop out of the presidential race, and Sen. Peter Welch of Vermont became the first senator to do so. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said conversations within his caucus continue. NBC News’ Ryan Nobles reports.

Rep. Scott Peters, D-Calif., tonight urged Biden to withdraw from the presidential race, saying his debate performance raised concerns that Biden "will not be able to wage a winning campaign."

"This was not a blip," Peters said in a statement. “Today I ask President Biden to withdraw from the presidential campaign. The stakes are high, and we are on a losing course. My conscience requires me to speak up and put loyalty to the country and to democracy ahead of my great affection for, and loyalty to, the President and those around him."

Peters is the second congressional Democrat to call for Biden to drop out after his news conference this evening.

Biden responded to a social media post from Trump that mocked a flub during tonight's news conference in which Biden mistakenly referred to Vice President Kamala Harris as "Vice President Trump."

"By the way: Yes, I know the difference. One’s a prosecutor, and the other’s a felon," Biden wrote on X, referring to Harris' former role as California attorney general and Trump's recent conviction in his New York hush money case.

Referring to the gaffe in a post on Truth Social, Trump had teased, "Great job, Joe!"

As the news conference was concluding, Biden responded to a shouted question from NBC News about how to he would combat Trump's criticism about his referring to Harris as "Vice President Trump."

"Listen to him," Biden said, before walking away.

Campaign officials said on X that Biden was referring to Project 2025.

Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., called on Biden to "step away" from the presidential race in a statement tonight after his news conference.

“The 2024 election will define the future of American democracy, and we must put forth the strongest candidate possible to confront the threat posed by Trump’s promised MAGA authoritarianism," Himes wrote. "I no longer believe that is Joe Biden, and I hope that, as he has through a lifetime of public service, he will continue to put our nation first and, as he promised, make way for a new generation of leaders."

Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, is the first member of the Connecticut delegation to call for Biden to drop out.

Biden wrapped up his high-stakes news conference, which lasted just under an hour.

It was in line with two of his longer news conferences: 53 minutes after the 2022 midterms and 62 minutes at one in 2021.

Biden was asked whether he would allow delegates to vote with their consciences if they have second thoughts about his candidacy.

"They're free to do whatever they want," Biden said.

Moments later he expressed confidence that the situation would not happen.

Asked whether he should take another neurological exam, Biden told reporters: "I’ve taken three significant and intense neurological exams ... as recently as February, and they say I’m in good shape."

Biden also defended his neurological health, saying the decisions he makes every day are evidence that he's healthy. "I’m tested every single day on my neurological capacity. Decisions I make every day," he said.

Biden also seemed to joke about the overwhelming number of anonymous remarks emerging from his campaign and his administration in recent weeks, telling reporters: "You talk to my staff. All of you talk to my staff. Sometimes my staff talks a lot."

In talking about threats to democracy, Biden made his first reference of the night to Project 2025, a sprawling conservative policy proposal aimed at Trump's potential second term. It has been an increasingly common talking point for Democrats who are seeking to paint Trump's policies as extremist. Trump has disavowed it, although some of his top allies are involved with it.

Biden raised his voice and became animated when he talked about guns.

He pointed to the death toll of children killed by guns each year and lashed out at the National Rifle Association and the Supreme Court.