The nation and the world hung on President Biden’s every word, every pause, every throat clearing and every verbal gaffe during his first solo news conference since his devastating debate performance two weeks ago. Frankly, it was exhausting.
The live news conference after a NATO conference in Washington was more than a life-or-death moment for Biden; it was a source of anxiety for millions of Americans who watched with apprehension (or didn’t watch at all) for fear that the 81-year-old would irrevocably squander one of the most important moments of his career and the country’s future.
But then a curious thing happened. Biden, the seasoned statesman, appeared and answered reporters' questions for nearly an hour. He was alert, articulate, and delivered more quips than jokes. You could almost hear the collective exhalation when he finally left the stage — and then the collective preparation for the next tightrope conference, the next terrifying event or odious debate.
Holding my breath every time Biden opens his mouth is not ideal in the face of one of the most consequential elections in the nation’s history. Every misspoken word or autocorrect feels like a death-defying fall from a crashed flight. If my nervous system is anything like that of other people who fear a victory by Trump, the destroyer of democracy, then it’s unlikely we’ll make it to November without shingles, an ulcer or sedative medication.
Thursday was a roller coaster, and that was it before The press conference began. Announcing a NATO pact to support Ukraine, Biden referred to the Eastern European nation's leader, Volodymyr Zelensky, as “Putin.” He quickly returned to the microphone and said, “It's going to be a very tough day.” beat President Putin… President Zelensky. I am very focused on defeating Putin.”
The name change would have gone unnoticed if it had been said by any other leader, but since it was Biden, the mistake was mentioned in the subsequent confrontation with reporters.
The press conference was supposedly about the NATO summit, but Russia and Gaza took a backseat to Biden’s future and the election. Reporters repeatedly asked Biden about his mental acuity, his low popularity ratings in the polls, what’s at stake if he stays in the race, what’s at stake if he drops out, the preparedness of his vice president, Kamala Harris, if she is the nominee, and his legacy if he loses to Trump.
“I'm not in this for my legacy. I'm in this to complete the job I started,” Biden said confidently.
But let's get down to business: Did what he was saying make sense? Did he seem to be “on his toes”? Was he following the lead?
Yes, yes and yes.
His biggest mistake was saying “Vice President Trump” instead of Harris. He corrected himself on the few occasions when he confused or repeated country names. Otherwise, there was nothing to indicate that his cognitive abilities were failing or that he was unfit to lead.
Instead, he demonstrated once again why he is the top choice alongside the Republican nominee as Biden answered reporters' questions with impressive range and detail on foreign policy, inflation, his dealings with world leaders and other topics that Trump regularly evades.
Biden also explained his concerns about the future of the world if Trump wins the election. “Do you think democracy is under siege because of Project 2025?” Biden rhetorically asked a reporter who posed the question. “Do you think he’s serious when he says he’s going to eliminate the civil service and the Department of Education?”
“I mean, we’ve never been here before,” Biden said, adding that his rival “seems to have an affinity for authoritarian people.”
And it turned out that Trump was hosting his own international summit on Thursday at his Mar-a-Lago estate — with right-wing neo-fascist Viktor Orbán. His meeting with the Hungarian prime minister would undoubtedly have generated more coverage had the media not been busy dissecting Biden’s every statement.
I wish the same attention was paid to Trump’s rants or the media would make meaningful comparisons between the two men and their relationship to the truth. During the conference, if Biden didn’t have exact numbers on, say, the number of offices in the Biden/Harris campaign, he didn’t just make something up (“A billion of the most beautiful offices I’ve ever seen!”). He said what he believed to be true and then qualified it with, “Don’t hold me to it in case I’m wrong.”
Asked if he would take a cognitive test every day to prove he is mentally fit, he said: “I am tested every day with the neurological decisions I have to make… But if a neurologist tells me that I think I need another test, if he thinks it is a problem, I promise I will do it.”
We know what will happen if Biden remains the front-runner and wins. He runs the country, and if he can’t, it will be up to his vice president to decide when. What we don’t know is what things will look like if Biden loses. Trump is an exceptionally dangerous candidate for a multitude of reasons, including his tendency toward vindictiveness and using the Supreme Court as a personal firewall to avoid prosecution.
It’s important that we talk about Biden’s health, but in this avalanche of assessment and panic, Trump is coming out on top. Analyze any of the former president’s recent speeches or tirades and you’ll see that they are disjointed and often absurd. Plus, he’s a convicted felon who promises to turn democracy into a monarchy.
Yet we cannot help but scrutinize Biden's every statement for clues to his incompetence.
“No matter what I do, no one will be satisfied,” Biden said. And he is right.
