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2024 election live updates: Bernie Sanders calls on Dems 'to stop the bickering'
Sanders expressed his support for Biden in a New York Times guest essay.
President Joe Biden is facing a critical point in his reelection bid as Democratic calls for him to exit the 2024 race continue to mount despite his efforts to shut them down.
A poor debate performance against Donald Trump reignited questions about Biden's age and fitness to carry out his campaign and serve another four years. Biden has defiantly insisted he is staying the course, telling lawmakers this week he is not going anywhere.
Biden held his first news conference since the debate Thursday evening -- taking multiple questions about his political future.
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Biden pressed on past comment he saw himself as 'bridge' to next generation of leaders
A reporter noted Biden made a statement during his 2020 campaign that he wanted to be a "bridge" candidate to help usher in a younger generation of Democratic leaders.
"I wanted to know --what changed?" she asked.
"What changed was the gravity of the situation I inherited, in terms of the economy, our foreign policy and domestic division," Biden responded.
"What I realized was my long time in the Senate equipped me to have the wisdom to how to deal with Congress and get things done," he continued. "We got more major legislation passed that no one thought would happen and I want to get that finished."
Biden on strategy to interrupt partnership between China and Russia
Asked what his strategy is to interrupt the partnership between China and Russia and if he would be able to negotiate with Xi and Putin, Biden said he has "spent more time with Xi Jinping than any world leader has."
"We have to make it clear and 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, that they are not going to benefit economically as a consequence of that by getting the kind of investment they are looking for," he said.
Biden added that after the Chinese "spy balloon" incident the U.S. and Chinese militaries have "direct access" to one other and "we contact one another."
Biden ready to deal with Putin, Xi 'now and three years from now'
Biden was asked if he will be able to deal with Russia's Vladimir Putin and China's Xi Jinping in two or three years from now, should he be reelected.
"I'm ready to deal with them now and three years from now," he said.
He said he is dealing with Xi right now and that he has "no good reason" to speak with Putin right now.
"There isn't any world leader I'm not prepared to deal with," Biden said.
'I'm not hearing my European allies say 'Joe don't run,'' Biden says
The president responded to a question about whether European allies should prepare for U.S. disengagement if Trump wins by contending that he has their support in the U.S. election.
"I'm not hearing my European allies coming up to me and saying, 'Joe, don't run,'" he said. "What I hear them saying is, 'You've got to win. Don't let this guy -- it would be a disaster.'"
Biden pointed out Trump has an "affinity to people who are authoritarian."
"That worries Europe. That worries Poland," he said.