During a press conference at the NATO summit in Washington on Thursday, President Joe Biden reaffirmed his commitment to running in the 2024 presidential race, emphasizing that he still believes he is the most qualified Democratic candidate.
Scripps News’ Haley Bull asked President Biden if delegates to the Democratic National Convention have the freedom to vote according to their conscience rather than supporting him as the candidate.
“Obviously they’re free to make their own decisions,” President Biden responded. “But I have received overwhelming support. I won a significant number of votes in the primary.”
“If I attend the convention and the majority insists on choosing someone else, that is part of the democratic process,” he stated. However, he expressed confidence that this scenario is unlikely to occur.
Even if they choose to support another candidate?
“I understand the motivations of every candidate. If they believe that having me as the top candidate will harm their chances, then it’s understandable that they would distance themselves. But based on the polling data in their states so far,” President Biden noted.
“How reliable are the polls these days? There are polls that show me consistently beating Trump among likely voters. However, in polls with unlikely voters, he sometimes emerges as the winner. Ultimately, it’s early to draw conclusions from the polling data as the campaign hasn’t fully commenced yet,” President Biden explained.
“Several developments could transpire,” President Biden acknowledged. “But I firmly believe that I am the most qualified to lead and to win. While there are other candidates who could defeat Trump, starting from scratch would pose considerable challenges.”
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The President highlighted that these challenges would also apply to his current Vice President, Kamala Harris.
Scripps News posed a question: If the data indicated that Vice President Kamala Harris would have a better chance against former President Donald Trump, would President Biden reconsider his decision to remain in the race?
“No, unless they presented evidence suggesting that I couldn’t win,” President Biden stated. “That scenario has not been put forward.”
