2024 election updates: 'I've gotta finish this job,' Biden says

He is holding his first post-debate news conference.

ABCNews logo
Last updated: Friday, July 12, 2024 1:07AM GMT
Biden holds press conference amid calls to drop out of campaign

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.

ABCNews logo
Jul 12, 2024, 12:05 AM GMT

'I'm not hearing my European allies say 'Joe don't run,'' Biden says

The president responded to a question about whether European allies should prepare for U.S. disengagement if Trump wins by contending that he has their support in the U.S. election.

"I'm not hearing my European allies coming up to me and saying, 'Joe, don't run,'" he said. "What I hear them saying is, 'You've got to win. Don't let this guy -- it would be a disaster.'"

Biden pointed out Trump has an "affinity to people who are authoritarian."

"That worries Europe. That worries Poland," he said.

AP logo
Jul 12, 2024, 12:03 AM GMT

Biden says he never suggested he needs an earlier bedtime

Biden is denying that he previously said he needs to cut back on his schedule to get to bed by 8 p.m.

The president told reporters that, in previous conversations, what he meant was "it'd be smarter to pace myself a little bit."

He suggested that working from early in the morning until near midnight was probably not a great idea and suggested that evening fundraisers for his reelection campaign could begin an hour or two earlier going forward.

Biden also vowed that, ahead of his second debate with Trump in September, "I'm not going to be traveling 15 time zones."

"Pace myself. Pace myself," he said.

ABCNews logo
Jul 11, 2024, 11:54 PM GMT

Biden touts Harris is 'qualified to be president'

Biden addressed his previous statements that Vice President Kamala Harris "would be ready on Day One."

The president touted Harris' work with women's reproductive health issues and her time in the Senate.

"I wouldn't have picked her unless I thought she was qualified to be president. From the very beginning, I made no bones about that. She is qualified to be president. That's why I picked her," he said.

ABCNews logo
Jul 11, 2024, 11:53 PM GMT

Biden addresses calling Zelenskyy 'Putin' gaffe

Biden was asked to address his gaffe earlier Thursday in which he introduced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a meeting about the Ukraine Compact at the NATO summit as Russia's President Putin, and if other world leaders needing to step in and make excuses is "damaging" to America's standing in the world.

"Do you see any damage by me leading this conference?" Biden responded. "Have you seen a more successful conference? I was talking about Putin and at the very end I said, I'm sorry, Zelenskyy."

"I thought it was the most successful conference I've attended in a long time," he later said.