During a press conference at the NATO summit in Washington on Thursday, President Joe Biden reaffirmed his dedication to running in the 2024 presidential race, stating that he still believes he is the most qualified Democratic candidate.
When asked by Scripps News’ Haley Bull if delegates to the Democratic National Convention have the freedom to vote their conscience instead of supporting President Biden as the candidate, he responded by saying, “Obviously they’re free to do whatever they want. But I have received overwhelming support. I can’t remember how many votes I won in the primary. Overwhelming.”
“If I attend the convention and everyone decides they want someone else, that’s part of the democratic process,” he stated. However, he added, “But that’s unlikely to happen.”
Even if they choose to vote for someone else?
“The truth is, I understand the self-interest of each candidate. If they believe that having Biden as the candidate will harm them, then they may distance themselves. I get it. However, if you look at the polling data in their states,” President Biden pointed out.
“How reliable do people think the polls are these days? I could show you several polls where likely voters would choose me over Trump consistently. When unlikely voters participate, he ends up winning at times. Overall, the polling data right now – I believe it’s premature because the campaign hasn’t really kicked off,” he continued.
“A lot can change,” President Biden acknowledged. “But in my opinion, I am the most qualified to lead. And I am confident that I can win. There are others who could defeat Trump as well, but starting from scratch is extremely challenging.”
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The president also addressed the challenges that would apply to his current vice president, Kamala Harris.
When asked if he would reconsider his decision to stay in the race if his team presented data indicating that Kamala Harris would perform better against former President Donald Trump, he replied, “No, unless they came back and said ‘There’s no way you could win.’ No one’s saying that.”
