Biden defends health and leadership amid scrutiny at solo press conference

US President stresses commitment to ending Gaza conflict, beating Trump and eager to talk with Xi, Putin

WASHINGTON DC:

US President Joe Biden, under intense scrutiny amid questions over his age, declared he is in good health and the best candidate to beat Donald Trump during a defiant hour-long news conference late Thursday.

When asked about the ongoing war in Gaza, Biden called for an end to the conflict. He stated his determination to broker an end to Israel's ongoing war on the besieged Gaza Strip, where over 38,000 Palestinians have been killed.

Addressing reporters at the end of NATO's three-day leader-level summit, Biden announced that both Israel and Hamas have agreed to what he called a deal "framework," with negotiators currently working to finalise the details. "These are difficult, complex issues. There's still gaps to close. We're making progress. The trend is positive," he said at the Walter E. Washington Convention Centre. "And I'm determined to get this deal done and bring an end to this war, which should end now."

The US President stood firm in the rare solo appearance before reporters, who asked repeated questions about the crisis engulfing his candidacy. "I've gotta finish the job," he said. However, the conference was also marred by occasional verbal mistakes, including mistakenly referring to Vice-President Kamala Harris as "Vice-President Trump."

Earlier in the evening, the president introduced Ukraine's leader as Vladimir Putin at a NATO event, triggering gasps in the room, before quickly correcting himself.

More members of his own Democratic Party have called for him to stand aside after a stumbling debate performance last month fuelled concerns over his age. Connecticut Congressman Jim Himes became the latest Democrat to call for Biden to step down, issuing a statement immediately after Biden's press conference concluded. "Joe Biden’s record of public service is unrivaled. His accomplishments are immense. His legacy as a great president is secure," he posted online moments after Biden left the stage.

When asked about calls from some of his Democratic colleagues to step aside, Biden said he's not in the presidential race for his legacy but to "complete the job I started." The President asserted he doesn't need to undergo cognitive testing and repeated that he is tested every day in his job. He noted that regardless of the number of doctors he sees, satisfaction with the scope of medical testing would be elusive.

Biden insisted the campaign had barely started and expressed confidence in his ability to beat Trump.

Speaking from the NATO summit, he fielded questions about foreign policy and the US's challenges in contending with China and Russia.

When a reporter asked if he believes he will be able to deal with Putin and Xi two or three years from now, if he wins re-election, Biden responded, "I'm ready to deal with them now, and three years from now. Look, like I said, I'm dealing with Xi right now. I'm in direct contact with him. I have no good reason to talk to Putin right now," he added, noting that this is because Putin has shown no willingness to "accommodate change in his behaviour."

He continued, stating that Russia "lies like hell" about the war in Ukraine and has already lost 350,000 troops in combat. "I'm ready to talk to any leader that wants to talk, including Putin," he concluded.

After maintaining an even tone during most of his news conference, Biden showed a sudden burst of anger as he brought up the topic of gun crime in the US. "Control guns, not girls," he said, raising his voice. "More children are killed by a bullet than any other cause of death. In the United States of America. What the hell are we doing?"

"I've got to finish this job. Because there's so much at stake," he added, before criticising Trump and the US Supreme Court for not upholding gun laws.