Democrats worry Biden press conference leaves party in 'purgatory': ANALYSIS
"This was in many ways the worst-case scenario for Dems," one Democrat said.
President Joe Biden's highly anticipated press conference went better than his debate. It also wasn't a masterclass. And Democrats are worried they're right where they started before he spoke Thursday night.
Biden's remarks featured both a vociferous defense of his record and detailed explanation of his foreign policy along with eyebrow-raising flubs, including mixing up the names of his vice president and his rival. That leaves Democrats' takeaways from the press conference muddled as the party continues to spasm over last month's debate, when Biden's rambling answers sparked a tense debate about replacing him on the 2024 ballot.
"This isn't a home run. It's not a disaster, but it also doesn't prove he can go out there and campaign and win. This doesn't erase the debate, and it doesn't move the polls. If I'm a member of Congress or a donor, I'm not walking away from this inspired, so the issues he had before the presser remain," said one former House Democratic aide.
"This is the worst-case scenario -- it doesn't change the dynamic, and that's what the goal was," the person added. "We're still stuck in purgatory."
Biden opened up his press conference by praising this week's NATO summit, touting that the alliance is "not only stronger" but also "bigger" under his watch while swatting at former President Donald Trump's skepticism of the alliance.
"Have you seen a more successful conference?" he shot back at one reporter during the event's question-and-answer period.
He was able to mix it up with journalists in the crowd on topics like Russia's war in Ukraine and the war in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Hamas, leaving defenders crowing about his grasp of complex issues. He also swatted away questions of his mental fitness and defended his decision to stay in the race, saying, "We've got to finish this job because there's so much at stake."
"It absolutely should," Democratic strategist Karen Finney said when asked whether the appearance would quell concerns. "Answered the tough questions, gave detailed substantive answers and was frank about the concerns that have been raised."
"I think he convinced a lot of people he should stay in the race," Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., said on CNN Thursday night, days after he told reporters Democrats were not reading "from the same book" over the president's chances this November.
Other moments, however, sparked alarm.
Near the end of the summit, Biden mistakenly referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as "President Putin" -- referring to Vladimir Putin, the Russian president who invaded Ukraine. And at the beginning of the question-and-answer session, he mistakenly called Vice President Kamala Harris "Vice President Trump," a remark that quickly ping ponged across social media and had Democrats cringing.
"This was even worse than I thought it would be," one Democratic pollster said. "It was over the moment he said, 'Vice President Trump.'"
The person added, "I don't think he can withstand what is coming."
The floodgates didn't open with a wave of new calls for Biden to drop out, but he did suffer a setback in the form Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, who released a statement right as the press conference finished -- underscoring that some Democrats had already made up their minds before the press conference began.
"It has been the honor of my career to work with him on the achievements that have secured his remarkable legacy in American history," Himes said in a statement, referencing health care reform, infrastructure funding and gun safety measures and praising Biden's "unconditional patriotism."
"It is because of those traits, and in consideration of that legacy, that I hope President Biden will step away from the presidential campaign."
Reps. Scott Peters, D-Calif., and Eric Sorensen, D-Ill., also issued similarly timed statements calling for Biden to drop out.
Taken together, the press conference appears unlikely to move the needle with a Democratic political class that hasn't seen quite enough to either launch a full court press to push for Biden's ouster or to fall completely in line behind him.
"There were no disastrous mistakes. His economic vision was clear. But we'll still be in a wait and see because nothing else has changed," said veteran Democratic National Committee member James Zogby.
Biden's campaign has furiously tried to change that dynamic since the disastrous debate.
A consensus emerged that a more muscular approach was necessary -- more travel and more unscripted moments would be needed to assuage worries over both Biden's age and electability.
The campaign sent him to Pennsylvania and Wisconsin and had him sit down with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos (and, this coming Monday, NBC News' Lester Holt), and the president himself sent House Democrats a strongly worded letter Tuesday of his intention to remain in the race. But here Democrats still are."It's the George interview all over again," one Democratic strategist said of the press conference, referencing the interview with Stephanopoulos that was similar viewed as just good enough to let Biden hang on but not good enough to quiet the storm around him.
Conversations are expected to continue among Democrats on Capitol Hill over how closely to stick by Biden, if at all. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., Thursday touted "candid, cleareyed and comprehensive" conversations lawmakers are having, saying he'd "respect the sanctity of those conversations until we conclude that process."
The conclusion of that process, however, appears nowhere in sight.
"This was in many ways the worst-case scenario for Dems," one battleground Democratic strategist told ABC News Thursday. "The president and his team will see this as a huge success, while everyone else will see this as just another example that he's just too past his prime to win."