Repetition of Verbal Slips; Biden Says He Is Determined to Continue His Election Campaign

The press conference of Joe Biden, the President of the United States, held on the sidelines of the NATO annual summit in Washington, was overshadowed by concerns about his physical and mental ability to run for the presidency. Mr. Biden, who is under pressure from some of his campaign's financial backers and members of the Democratic Party to withdraw from the race against Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, emphasized on Thursday during this press conference that he is the most suitable candidate for the presidency in America. However, he also made verbal slips during the press conference that immediately became headlines, including mistakenly referring to his vice president, Kamala Harris, as Trump. Biden slipped up in response to a question from Reuters asking if he was concerned that if Kamala Harris ran, she might not be able to defeat Trump. He was also asked if he believes Kamala Harris is qualified for the presidency, to which he answered affirmatively, saying, "If I didn't think she was qualified for the presidency, I wouldn't have chosen her." Mr. Biden further asserted that he is determined to continue his election campaign against Donald Trump, stating that he feels the need to protect the United States and democracy, adding, "I have to get this done. I have to get this done because there are many things at stake." Biden said that only God could dissuade him from running for election. The President of the United States stated, "I have undergone three important and complete neurological tests... the last one was in February, and the doctors say I am in good shape." He also assured that if doctors tell him he needs to undergo another neurological test, he would agree. Biden mentioned that Washington's European allies told him during the NATO summit that he must defeat Donald Trump and that a second Trump presidency would mean a "disaster." He stated, "This is what I hear from them. They all say I must win." Hours before this press conference, Joe Biden mistakenly referred to Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, as "President Putin." This was another verbal slip from the U.S. President following his disastrous debate with Donald Trump two weeks prior. Mr. Biden, in front of senior officials from 32 NATO allies, mistakenly called Zelensky "President Putin" when he intended to invite him to speak. He quickly corrected himself, saying, "President Putin? He defeats Putin. President Zelensky." On Thursday, the number of Democratic representatives in the U.S. Congress calling for Joe Biden to withdraw from the presidential race continued to grow. The latest of these representatives is Greg Stanton from Arizona, who joined eleven other Democratic representatives. Mr. Stanton stated in a social media post, "For the sake of American democracy and to achieve what we prioritize, I believe it is time for the President to step aside from the candidacy." Biden's response to calls for him to withdraw: "I am not going anywhere." Earlier that day, Brad Schneider, a Democratic representative from Illinois, had also called on Biden to withdraw from the election. Mr. Schneider said, "I love President Biden. I have always appreciated his leadership and service to the American people. However, it is time for President Biden to heroically pass the torch to a new generation of leadership to guide us toward a future that empowers us." So far, among Democratic senators, Senator Peter Welch from Vermont has also called on Biden to withdraw from the election.