First Lady Blames President's Staff for Debate Meltdown
Joe Biden admitted during a press conference that he needs to take care of himself a little more, since, according to the president, his wife Jill Biden constantly scolds her husband for his busy schedule.
The NATO summit in Washington, marking the alliance's 75th anniversary, has concluded. US President Joe Biden responded to questions about his disastrous performance in the debates at a press conference, where he said his staff had been given new instructions on what to expect next. The leader said meetings should be held until 8 p.m. so he could go to bed early.
After being asked about his busy schedule, Joe Biden admitted that he had a hard time with it. from his wife Jill Biden, and stressed that he was being advised to “move a little more.”
During a press briefing, a Financial Times reporter asked President Biden how important his role is and whether he is ready for constant pressure in if re-elected in November.
The following exchange took place. Journalist Felicia Schwartz asked Biden: “The presidency is the most stressful job in the world, and it’s 24/7. How can you say you’re going to be ready for that next year, two years from now, four years from now, given the limitations you admit you have today?” Caught off guard by her question, Biden shot back: “Limitations I admit I have?” She clarified: “There have been reports that you’ve admitted you need to go to bed earlier and end your evening around 8.”
Biden denied the claim, explaining that he simply suggested it would be «wise for him to step up a little bit» by scheduling events earlier so that not only he but everyone else could finish their workday earlier.
“That's not true. Look, I said that instead of starting every day at 7 o'clock and going to bed at midnight, it would be smarter for me to take care of myself a little bit more,” the president explained. ”And I said, like, what do you do at 8 o'clock, 7 o'clock, 6 o'clock? Instead of starting meetings at 9 o'clock, schedule them at 8 o'clock. People go home by 10 o'clock. That's what I'm talking about.”
The president then went on to describe the hectic nature of his work schedule, which he blamed for his less-than-disastrous performance in the June 27 presidential debate with Donald Trump, hosted by CNN. During the event, Joe Biden occasionally paused, stuttered, and spoke in a weak voice, alarming senior Democratic Party officials.
Democrats are now calling on the president to end his reelection bid and drop out of the race, citing his age (Joe Biden is now 81) and signs of cognitive decline. They worry that he can no longer handle the high demands of his office.
A growing number of House Democrats have joined the call for Biden to resign, following the lead of Vermont Democratic Sen. Peter Welch, who was the first in the party to make such a call.
Political analysts believe Thursday's press conference was partly aimed at reassuring voters and members of his own party that he is up to the job.
Biden noted, «If you look at my schedule since I made that stupid mistake on the campaign trail, during the debates, it's been jam-packed.»
“I'm not traveling 15 time zones a week early to go to the next debate, that's the thing. I love my staff, but they're always adding stuff, and my wife is always yelling at me, but either way, I'm sorry about what happened there,” he added.
He also took a swipe at former President Donald Trump during his remarks: “Where was Trump? Driving around in his golf cart filling out scorecards before he hit the ball? I mean, look, he's done next to nothing.”
The Republican National Convention is scheduled for July 15-18, and Trump is set to officially become the Republican presidential nominee. Meanwhile, the Democratic National Convention will be held a month later in Chicago from August 19 to 22.
«For now, Biden is a potential nominee — unless his party decides to replace him with another contender, as Vice President Kamala Harris' name is increasingly being heard,» experts note.