Biden vows to ‘finish the job’ on world stage, Rep. Nancy Mace doubts his ability to do so

CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCIV) — President Joe Biden, in a nearly hour-long press conference, fielded difficult questions from reporters Thursday, showing command of foreign policy while vowing to stay in the race for the White House.

The news conference, the first in eight months, was a move to demonstrate he is capable of upholding the duties of the office of the president. Biden answered questions about his age and fitness for the job. However, the president’s adversaries latched on to each perceived slip-up, attempting to frame it as proof of his inability to lead.

“Calling your vice president Kamala Harris, vice President Trump is a major gaffe,” said Rep. Nancy Mace (R, S.C.-01). “It’s very clear that there are cognitive issues going on here. It’s very clear that he’s not making the critical decisions as president and the American people deserve.”

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The president made two notable missteps, referring at an event beforehand to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “President Putin” and then calling Kamala Harris “Vice President Trump” when asked about her.

“I think this is deeply concerning,” Mace said. “To have this kind of a night when we have NATO and world leaders in Washington watching – the entire world is watching – this was a huge mistake and he needs to drop out of the race.”

But Biden also gave detailed responses about his work to preserve NATO and his plans for a second term, where he vowed to “finish the job.”

Mark Owens, a political science professor at The Citadel, said Biden’s discussion on foreign policy is actually where the president faired well.

“I think the press conference gave the opportunity for supporters of President Biden to say a lot of good things about him,” Owens said. “He was comfortable in that moment when we think about it for an hour, but he was on the stage that he had just been on the stage with a few hours before with the world leaders. And I think all the questions he took and his introduction focused on the things that he loves to talk about – foreign policy. He wants to use that to solidify his strength as one thing he can do that other candidates cannot.”

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Biden also detailed what changed when he decided to run for a second term. During his 2020 campaign, he described himself as a “bridge” candidate. He now claims when he saw the extreme positions Donald Trump and his Republican allies held, it spurred him to run for reelection.

“What changed was the gravity of the situation I inherited,” he said. “I’ve got to finish this job.”

To that explanation, Owens claims Biden is serving as a bridge to the future Democratic party leadership.

“This week is to remind people that he is doing that [serving as a bridge],” Owens said. “That if he can point to the fact that the individuals who are gaining experience while he is president, that helps.”

As for the local Democratic party in Charleston County, it plans to stick by Biden at the top of the ticket.

“President Biden just spoke for an hour about standing with our allies and protecting democracy around the world,” said Sam Skardon, chair at the Charleston County Democratic Party. “It’s not that Donald Trump can’t do that. It’s that he won’t. That’s why our party remains united in doing whatever it takes to win this election.”