US President Joe Biden defiantly insisted Thursday that he will run for another term and win, as a series of verbal gaffes while leading a major summit threw a harsh new spotlight on his fitness.
The 81-year-old president sought to show himself in command as he led the NATO summit in Washington two weeks after a disastrous debate performance raised fears among Democrats that he may lose to Donald Trump.
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But Biden mistakenly introduced Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky as his Russian foe Vladimir Putin before quickly correcting himself.
At a high-stakes evening news conference afterward, Biden mistakenly referred to “Vice President” Trump.
But he vowed to stay in the race.
“I think I’m the most qualified person to run for president. I beat him once, and I will beat him again,” Biden said of Trump.
Biden, already the oldest person to be elected the first time to the White House, said he was “not in this for my legacy” but to “complete the job I started.”
Biden has faced a steady drumbeat of Democrats calling for him to abandon his 2024 candidacy, fearing that Trump is in a position to beat him.
Biden made clear he supported Harris – who as vice president would take over from him, but is also seen by a growing number of Democrats as a stronger candidate at the top of the ticket.
Biden said he would not have picked Kamala Harris, whom he accidentally referred to as Trump, if “she was not qualified to be president.”
He also denied reports that he needed to go to bed by 8 pm, a time at which he was still holding his news conference on Thursday.
“Instead of my every day starting at 7:00 am and going to bed at midnight, it would be smarter for me to pace myself a little more,” Biden said.
