President Joe Biden on Thursday ended a defiant press conference with a strange qualifier on his personal commitment to staying in the presidential race.
When asked directly whether he would consider withdrawing if polling numbers indicated Vice President Kamala Harris would fare better in a matchup against Donald Trump, the 81-year-old president said no, with one caveat.
“You earlier explained confidence in your vice president. If your team came back and showed you data that she would fare better against former President Donald Trump. Would you reconsider your decision to stay in the race?” a Scripps reporter asked.
“No, unless they came back and said, ‘There’s no way you can win,’” Biden said, nearing a whisper as he added, as in “me.”
“And no one’s saying that. No polls are saying that,” he added, launching the room filled with the White House press corps into chaos. It was the last question of one of the most critical evenings of Biden’s presidency, as Democratic lawmakers weigh whether or not to formally strip their endorsement from Biden as their presumptive presidential nominee.
Despite Biden’s insistence, national polls have shown Harris faring as well or better than him in a direct match-up against Trump in November.
At the end of his first press conference since the debate, President Biden said he would only reconsider staying in the race if he was told there's no path for him to win.
— NBC News (@NBCNews) July 12, 2024
He then whispered into the mic: "No one's saying that. No poll says that." https://t.co/2uv8C7qtri pic.twitter.com/fr3Onr4djY
