America, Joe Biden said, has never been here before.

The country has never had a presidential candidate from a leading party that threatens democratic and governmental norms — one, Biden said, who has promised to eliminate the Department of Education, to shake civil service to its core, and one Biden has called a “congenital liar.”

"That’s why I’m not handing off to another generation: I’ve got to finish this job. I’ve got to finish this job, because there’s so much at stake," Biden said Thursday as he stood before the Washington press corps.

It was Biden’s first major press conference in two weeks, since his debate performance against presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump — an exhibition that went so poorly that friends, megadonors and even members of his own party began to call for Biden to step away from the 2024 presidential nomination. 

This press conference was an opportunity for Biden to demonstrate policy competence that escaped him throughout major portions of the debate — and in many cases, he passed, covering broad strokes and smaller nuances on foreign defense, policy and diplomacy matters, particularly with regard to Ukraine, Russia and China. 

Though the press conference wasn’t a cure-all — multiple Congressional Democrats joined the chorus of calls for Biden to step down from the ticket shortly after it concluded — it was another part of the labor the incumbent Democratic president has undertaken to convince members of his party and American voters that he’s still able to perform his presidential duties.

"I mean, my schedule has been full-bore," Biden said of his recent slew of events, both prior to the debate – which included international travel – and after. "Where’s Trump been? riding around in his golf cart, filling out a scorecard?" 

After the debate, Trump celebrated his performance with a rally, then took a nine-day break before returning to the campaign trail. Meanwhile, Biden held to a schedule that included both campaign events in key swing states and hosting a three-day NATO summit, celebrating the 75th anniversary of the treaty organization’s formation.

Though he admitted that he’s got to "pace myself more," Biden repeated his belief that he is the "best-qualified person to do the job."

In 2020, then-candidate Biden called himself a "bridge" to a "new generation of leaders," and it was reported that he viewed himself as a single-term president.

When asked Thursday why his plans changed, and why he was running again, Biden said that the "gravity of the situation" was what changed, as both political and cultural division domestically and temperatures rose in conflicts across the globe. 

Biden highlights his foreign policy chops, touts domestic record

While Biden had some flubs in the closely watched event, the president delivered compelling responses to many of the questions, notably on deeply complex foreign policy issues.

Biden began the press conference with remarks celebrating the NATO summit, including the work done to bolster Ukraine’s defenses against Russian attacks.

Putin thought that Ukraine would fall within a week of their assault, Biden said. “Today, Kyiv still stands. And NATO stands stronger than it has ever been.”

He then moved onto domestic issues. The economy, he said, has stood strong — that inflation is at its lowest point of growth in three years, that prices are falling on common purchases. Trump’s plan to increase tariffs on imported goods, however, would be little more than a tax on goods for American families. The southern border has seen a 50% decrease in migrant encounters since he took executive action — action he took after Trump urged Congressional Republicans to squash a bipartisan border effort.

And the war between Israel and Hamas, in the Gaza Strip, is nearing a turning point.

“For months, the United States has worked to secure a ceasefire in Gaza,” Biden said, noting that the U.S. has crafted a framework to end hostilities and bring Israeli hostages home. “That framework is now agreed upon by both Israel and Hamas,” he said, though he added that “there’s still gaps to close.”

“We’re making progress — the trend is positive. I’m determined to get this deal done and bring an end to this war,” Biden said.

Biden flubs praise for Harris, but expresses confidence she’s ‘qualified’ to lead ‘on day one’

While he celebrated his achievements, Biden couldn’t escape making another uncomfortable gaffe at the top of his speech, confusing his own vice president’s name for that of his expected opponent.

"I wouldn’t have picked Vice President Trump to be vice president if she wasn’t qualified to be president," Biden said. His moment of mistaken identity came shortly after he was asked about what concerns, if any, he had about Vice President Kamala Harris’s ability to beat Trump.

Later, when asked to elaborate on his confidence in Harris, Biden acknowledged a previous comment that she would be ready to serve “on day one,” adding that she has the ability “to handle almost any issue on the board.”

Throughout his presidency, Biden has repeated a key two-word phrase to both his supporters and detractors: “Watch me.” It’s been a challenge to them and to himself, a call for the American people to judge him on his accomplishments and to vote accordingly.

Biden reflected on that when asked how he can reassure Americans that he won’t have another “bad night,” as he described his halting, meandering debate performance. 

"If I slow down and I can’t get the job done, that’s a sign I shouldn’t be doing it," Biden said.

At this point, Biden has spent more than 50 years on the national political stage, first as a U.S. Senator, then as Vice President, before taking over the Oval Office. He was asked what it would mean for his legacy — which he has taken decades to build — should he stay in the race and lose the White House to Donald Trump.

“Well look,” he started, then paused. After a moment, he began again.

“I’m not in this for my legacy,” Biden said. “I’m in this to complete the job I started.”

Biden signals he’d be open to neurological exam if doctors call for it

After the president's performance in Atlanta last month amplified calls for him to take another cognitive test – something the White House says he has done three times since he assumed the presidency, each one alongside his typical annual physical – Biden repeatedly used a variation of the same line: That he takes a cognitive test everyday when carrying out the duties of presidency.

On Thursday, he reiterated a variation of that line but this time left the door slightly more open. 

“Every single day, I'm surrounded by good docs – if they think there's a problem, I promise you – or even if they don't think it's a problem, they think I should have a neurologic exam again, I'll do it,” Biden said. “But no one is suggesting that to me now.” 

Biden noted that even if he did take one “no one is going to be satisfied,” suggesting people would still find things to question about the legitimacy of the exam. 

Asked whether he considered delegates at next month’s Democratic National Convention free to vote for someone else if they have second thoughts about the current commander in chief, Biden said they could “do whatever they want” before noting that he won “overwhelming” support in the primary elections. 

“If all of a sudden I show up at the convention, everybody says we want somebody else – that's the democratic process,” he said, before whispering for effect: “It’s not gonna happen.”