Analysis by US correspondent James Matthews
It was Biden’s big screen test, but the truth is, he failed rather before it even began.
Just hours before taking to the stage, the president showed his “Putin” side by mistakenly referring to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as “President Putin.”
That was already the gaffe of the day.
Biden may have nailed the NATO meeting, but it was a meme-worthy moment that defined his performance for the very screen-scrolling generation he needs to support.
While touting his record, Joe Biden spoke about the economy, foreign policy and “division at home.”
His difficulty right now is that the audience can’t hear a single line of what he’s going to say next.
When asked about Kamala Harris, he mistakenly referred to her as “Vice President Trump.”
Like the “Putin” gaffe, this is a mistake that anyone could make, and Biden himself could have done it a few years ago and it would have gone unnoticed.
His problem now is that any sign of weakness, big or small, is attached to the existing narrative – that of a stubborn old president coddled by the government machinery despite growing concerns about his mental health.
He actually kept his cool throughout the hour-long press conference.
Speaking about politics as a statesman, he appeared calm for an 81-year-old. He gave his opinion on the topic and ultimately declared that he was “best qualified to govern and win.”
The uncertainty is whether it was enough.
But Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, called on the president to resign minutes after the press conference ended.
On the night of the big press conference, the big question now is: how many will follow through?