He is holding his first post-debate news conference.
President Joe Biden is facing a critical point in his reelection bid as Democratic calls for him to exit the 2024 race continue to mount despite his efforts to shut them down.
A poor debate performance against Donald Trump reignited questions about Biden's age and fitness to carry out his campaign and serve another four years. Biden has defiantly insisted he is staying the course, telling lawmakers this week he is not going anywhere.
Thursday evening, Biden held his first post-debate news conference.
Biden is at the podium to answer reporter questions in his first solo press conference since November 2023, a critical moment for him as he faces growing Democratic pressure to step aside from his campaign.
Biden, facing a political crisis as Democrats question the viability of his campaign, is minutes away from holding his first solo press conference of the year -- and since the debate two weeks ago.
It's an opportunity for Biden to change the narrative after his poor performance that night triggered a drumbeat of concerns in his own party that he might be too weakened to win against Donald Trump this November.
But any stumbles in the unscripted setting will only add fuel to the fire, despite Biden's repeated attempts to rebuff his critics and his insistence that he is staying in the race.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz addressed Biden's viability and future during an interview Thursday on the PBS NewsHour, saying, "it would be a big mistake to underestimate the president."
"I just can tell you from my perspective, as someone that is speaking with Biden, he is very focused and he is very, intensely doing what the president of the United States has to do for leading [NATO]," Scholz said.
Scholz said that had not seen moments in his most recent interactions with Biden that indicated the president is not up for another four years.
Biden introduced Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as President Putin at a meeting about the Ukraine Compact at the NATO summit Thursday evening.
"Ladies and gentlemen, President Putin," President Biden said. "President Putin? He's going to beat President Putin. President Zelenskyy. I'm so focused on beating Putin, we've got to worry about it. Anyway, Mr. President."
Zelenskyy laughed off the gaffe.
"I'm better," Zelenskyy said as he walked up to the podium.
"You are a hell of a lot better," Biden replied.
The exchange came shortly before Biden was scheduled to hold his first solo news conference since the presidential debate.
