Key moments in Biden's speech aimed at saving his spot in the 2024 presidential race

Insider

Between flubs and misspeaks, Biden showed in-depth knowledge of world affairs. Is it enough to save his 2024 campaign? Here are the highlights.

Transcript

00:00Russia will not prevail in this war.

00:03Ukraine will prevail in this war.

00:05And we'll stand with them every single step of the way.

00:08That's what the compact says, loudly and clearly.

00:12And now I want to hand it over to the President of Ukraine,

00:16who has as much courage as he has determination.

00:19Ladies and gentlemen, President Putin.

00:22President Putin.

00:24He's going to beat President Putin.

00:26President Zelensky.

00:28I'm so focused on beating Putin, we got to worry about it.

00:31Anyway, Mr. President.

00:33I'm better.

00:34You are a hell of a better.

00:37What concerns do you have about Vice President

00:39Harris' ability to beat Donald Trump

00:42if she were at the top of the ticket?

00:44Look, I wouldn't have picked Vice President Trump

00:48to be Vice President

00:49because I think she's not qualified to be President.

00:52So let's start there.

00:54Number one, the fact is that the consideration

00:59is that I think I'm the most qualified person

01:02to run for President.

01:04I beat him once and I will beat him again.

01:08Secondly, the idea, I served in the Senate a long time.

01:15The idea that senators and congressmen running for office

01:22worry about the ticket is not unusual.

01:25And I might add, there are at least five presidents running

01:29or incumbent presidents

01:31who had lower numbers than I have now.

01:35For months, the United States has been working

01:38to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, to bring the hostages home,

01:43to create a path for peace and stability in the Middle East.

01:48Six weeks ago, I laid out a detailed plan in writing,

01:54was endorsed by the UN Security Council, the G7.

01:59That framework is now agreed on by both Israel and Hamas.

02:04So I sent my team to the region to hammer out the details.

02:08These are difficult, complex issues.

02:10There's still gaps to close, but we're making progress.

02:14The trend is positive,

02:16and I'm determined to get this deal done

02:18and bring an end to this war, which should end now.

02:21Look, what I said was, instead of my every day

02:27starting at 7 and going to bed at midnight,

02:30it'd be smarter for me to pace myself a little more.

02:33And I said, for example, the 8, 7, 6 stuff,

02:36instead of starting the fundraiser at 9 o'clock,

02:39start at 8 o'clock.

02:41People get to go home by 10 o'clock.

02:43That's what I'm talking about.

02:44I'm not talking about,

02:45and if you looked at my schedule

02:48since I made that stupid mistake in the debate,

02:53I mean, my schedule has been full bore.

02:57I always have an inclination,

03:00whether I was playing sports or doing politics,

03:04just to keep going, not stop.

03:05I just got to pace myself a little more, pace myself.

03:11The next debate, I'm not going to be traveling

03:13in the 15 time zones a week before.

03:17Anyway, that's what it was about.

03:20That's what it was about.

03:21And by the way, even with that, I love my staff,

03:24but they add things, add things all the time.

03:28At the very end, I'm catching hell from my wife for that.

03:32Anyway.

03:35What do we got here?

03:39I've taken three significant and intense neurological exams

03:46by a neurologist.

03:51In each case, as recently as February,

03:53and they say I'm in good shape, okay?

03:56Although I do have a little problem with my left foot

03:59because it's not as sensitive because I broke my foot

04:02and didn't wear the boot, but I'm good.

04:07I'm tested every single day about my neurological capacity

04:11to do decisions I make every day.

04:14And every single day, I'm surrounded by good docs.

04:17If they think there's a problem, I promise you,

04:21or even if they don't think it's a problem,

04:22they think I should have a neurological exam again,

04:25I'll do it.

04:26But no one's suggesting that to me now.

04:28And I'll ask you another question.

04:30No matter what I did, no one's going to be satisfied.

04:34Did you have seven docs?

04:36Did you have two?

04:37Who'd you have?

04:38Did you do this?

04:39How many times?

04:40So I am not opposed if my doctors tell me

04:45that I should have another neurological exam, I'll do it.

04:49The, like I said, I'm dealing with Xi right now

04:59and direct contact with him.

05:01I have no good reason to talk to Putin right now.

05:05There's not much that he is prepared to do in terms

05:10of accommodating any change in his behavior.

05:14And, but there isn't any world leader I'm not prepared

05:17to deal with.

05:19But I understand the generic point is, is Putin ready to talk?

05:25I'm not ready to talk to Putin unless Putin's ready

05:28to change his behavior.

05:30Last time I talked to Putin was trying to get him to work

05:34on an arms control agreement related

05:36to nuclear weapons in space.

05:39That didn't go very far.

05:41I'm not in this for my legacy.

05:44I'm in this to complete the job I started.

05:47As you recall, understandably, many of you

05:50and many economists thought my initial initiatives

05:54that I put forward can't do that.

05:56It's going to cause inflation.

05:57Things are going to skyrocket.

05:58The debt's going to go up.

06:01What are you hearing now from mainstream economists?

06:0516 economic Nobel laureates said I've done a hell of a job.

06:10And under my plans so far and what's going to happen

06:14in the future if I've reelected,

06:17that things are going to get much better.

06:18You earlier explained confidence in your vice president.

06:22Yes.

06:23If your team came back and showed you data

06:25that she would fare better

06:27against former president Donald Trump,

06:29would you reconsider your decision to stay in the race?

06:33No, unless they came back and said,

06:35there's no way you can win.

06:39Me.

06:41No one's saying that.

06:42No poll says that.

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