WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden will late on Thursday give his first press conference since his debate disaster against Donald Trump, in a make-or-break moment for the fate of his teetering reelection bid.
The eyes of the world will be on the 81-year-old´s solo appearance at a Nato summit in Washington as concerns over his age and health spark growing calls in his Democratic Party for him to step aside.
The White House has dubbed it a “big boy” press conference, and Biden will be under close scrutiny to show he can handle a rare unscripted moment in his presidency.
Any missteps by Biden at the event -- which was delayed by an hour to 6.30 pm (2230 GMT) -- could turn the trickle of Democrats who have so far urged him to abandon his 2024 election bid into a flood.
Despite that, Biden now faces what CNN called the “most high-pressure presidential news conference in modern history”, exactly two weeks after his stumbling debate performance ignited a firestorm of concerns about his age, health and mental acuity.
Top House Democrat Hakeem Jeffries said on Thursday he was speaking with each of the party´s representatives, adding that they would then “convene as a leadership team and figure out the next step.”
The once-talkative Biden has given fewer news conferences than his predecessors, and recent ones have only been with foreign leaders, restricted to two questions each. Coupled with a lack of interviews, it has led critics to accuse the White House of shielding the effects of age on America´s oldest president.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has repeatedly promised Thursday´s “big boy press conference” -- a phrase first used by a journalist that she has since adopted -- will feature multiple questions.
Biden has called his debate meltdown a “bad night”, blaming it on a cold and jet lag.
Biden has insisted that he is committed to running in November, and with the Democratic party primary votes under his belt there is no real way of forcing him out. His campaign fought back on Thursday with a new ad campaign on the last day of the Nato summit portraying Trump as a “lap dog” of Russian leader Vladimir Putin.