At the same time that 31 other NATO leaders gathered in Washington, Democrats returned to Congress to intensify debate over whether the president should remain their candidate. European leaders were scrutinizing Biden’s public and private interactions as they worried about whether he could defeat Republican front-runner Donald Trump, who has threatened to dismantle NATO.
Several Democrats urged Biden to give up on reelection after his shaky performance in a debate with President Trump on June 27. The defections appeared to halt when the president forcefully rejected those suggestions, but former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) reiterated Wednesday morning that Biden has an important decision to make.
As NATO leaders arrived in Washington for a summit on Tuesday, they exchanged views after speaking with Biden, one European official familiar with the exchange said, in an effort to paint as complete a picture as possible of the alliance’s most important leader.
Biden’s biggest test comes on Thursday, when Democrats say the press conference is crucial to prove he has the energy and mental agility to take on Trump. European leaders will also be closely watching the president’s news conference to gauge whether Biden performed poorly in the debate, as he claims, or whether it’s a sign of bigger problems that could make defeating Trump even harder.
“The summit will be an opportunity for the president to demonstrate strong international leadership in contrast to Donald Trump’s efforts to undermine NATO,” said Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.). “Throughout the summit, the president will have an opportunity to showcase his leadership and foreign policy track record, and the press conference will give him an opportunity to address any concerns he may have.”
Biden’s demeanor at a reception for all 32 NATO leaders on Tuesday was similar to his welcoming speech that evening, acknowledging the other leaders unprompted and engaging in brief but smooth conversations, according to a European official. The president interacted with the other leaders alone, without himself or any aides present, the official said.
Another European official said some in the Biden audience watched as the president placed a medal around the neck of outgoing NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, but the ceremony went off without a hitch. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity to give their candid assessment of the U.S. president.
Biden was scheduled to take part in a working session with other NATO leaders before hosting Britain’s new Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the White House on Wednesday. Later that day, Biden and first lady Jill Biden will host NATO leaders and their spouses for a White House dinner.
Earlier in the day, Biden stopped by a meeting of leaders of the AFL-CIO, a friendly group that reaffirmed its support for the president. “I’ve never been more optimistic about the future of America, and not because of me, but because of what we’re doing together,” Biden told the union leaders.
Biden’s demeanor and agility are likely to come under intense scrutiny at NATO meetings and dinners. At the Group of Seven summit in Italy last month, several European leaders left surprised at how much older Biden looked than when they last met just a year or, in some cases, just a few months ago, according to officials with knowledge of their reactions.
Aides said they noticed Biden seemed more tired and weaker, his train of thought faltering but quickly getting back on track, and the overall impression was that he believed he could do the job at this point but questioned whether he could serve another four years in office.
Biden sought to calm those concerns from a speech welcoming NATO leaders to Washington on Tuesday. He spoke glowingly about the alliance’s new strength, highlighting the addition of Finland and Sweden to the bloc and the growing number of countries spending more than 2% of their GDP on defense, and implicitly rebuked Trump, who had threatened to dismantle the alliance and said he would allow Russia to “do whatever it wants” against NATO members that don’t spend enough on defense.
Biden did not mention Trump by name but stressed that a bipartisan majority of Americans support the alliance and spoke of the dangers of a world without it.
“It’s good that we’re stronger than ever, because this moment in history calls for our united strength,” Biden said. “The American people understand what would happen without NATO, that there would be another war in Europe, that our troops would fight and die, and that dictators would spread chaos.”
