Biden Uses NATO Summit to Assail Trump on Foreign Policy
President Biden used the closing of the NATO summit to issue a blistering attack on Donald J. Trump’s rejection of the value of alliances, and he declared for the first time that he had developed a strategy to interrupt the growing military and technological relationship between Russia and China.
In a wide-ranging news conference being watched to see how he handled himself amid questions about his age and acuity, Mr. Biden mixed defiance of his critics with several flubs.
transcript
Highlights from Biden’s News Conference
President Biden held an hourlong news conference with reporters, stumbling early on but remaining defiant in the face of questions about his fitness to continue his campaign.
“The President of the United States, Joe Biden.” “Hey, everybody. Thank you. Please be seated.” “What concerns do you have about Vice President Harris’s ability to beat Donald Trump if she were at the top of the ticket?” “Look, I wouldn’t have picked Vice President Trump to be vice president did I think she was not qualified to be president.” “You mixed up presidents Zelensky and Putin earlier today. Officials here are saying off the record that your decline has become noticeable. Hasn’t this now, frankly, become damaging for America’s standing in the world? Thank you.” “Did you see any damage to our standing in my leading this conference? Have you seen a more successful conference?” “China has to understand that if they are supplying Russia with information and capacity, along with working with North Korea and others to help Russia and armament, that they’re not going to benefit economically. I know Israel well and I support Israel. But this war cabinet is one of the most conservative war cabinets in the history of Israel. And there’s no ultimate answer other than a two-state solution here.” “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?” “No, unless they came back and said, there’s no way you can win. Me. No one is saying that. No poll says that. I think I’m the most qualified person to run for president. I beat him once and I will beat him again.”
President Biden held an hourlong news conference with reporters, stumbling early on but remaining defiant in the face of questions about his fitness to continue his campaign.CreditCredit…Doug Mills/The New York Times
But the session also served as a platform for him to show a command of foreign policy, including describing in detail the decisions he has made over three and a half years that have been punctuated by wars in Ukraine and Gaza.
He took credit for warning the Europeans of an impending invasion of Ukraine in late 2021 and early 2022, and for preparing NATO to provide arms and intelligence as soon as war broke out. And he used the moment to remind American voters that Mr. Trump’s first reaction to the invasion was to praise President Vladimir V. Putin.
“Here’s what he said,” Mr. Biden added, his voice dripping with sarcasm: “‘It was genius. It was wonderful.’”
