President Joe Biden will not only host this year’s NATO summit for 31 U.S. allies, but he will also hold a news conference on Thursday as the world continues to harshly scrutinize his qualifications as a presidential candidate since his debacle in June.
All eyes are on Biden as he reaffirms America’s commitment to the intergovernmental group at a summit marking the 75th anniversary of the NATO alliance in Washington, D.C. Since his disastrous debate performance with former President Donald Trump two weeks ago, some Democrats have openly questioned whether Biden should be representing their party, with some directly urging him to withdraw from the race altogether.
“Joe Biden is a patriot, but he is no longer the best candidate to defeat Trump,” New York Rep. Pat Ryan, who represents a battleground district, said in a statement Wednesday. “In the best interest of our country, I am calling on Joe Biden to step down so he can fulfill his promise to be a bridge to a new generation of leadership.”
How Biden answers reporters’ questions will be a key test at this stage of the election cycle.
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Watch live: Biden holds press conference
USA TODAY will live-cover the news conference, which will take place at 6:30 pm ET on Thursday from the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, and you can watch it live in the video embedded at the top of the page or on USA TODAY’s YouTube channel.
The president is scheduled to continue his campaigning by visiting Michigan on Friday and taking part in another television interview with NBC News host Lester Holt, which will air on Monday.
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