President Joe Biden is set to take the stage within two hours for a “big boy press conference” to close out the three-day NATO summit, a traditional capstone for leaders after high-level diplomatic talks.
Still, as Democrats continue to weigh how forcefully and publicly to urge Biden to abandon his bid for a second term, few are likely to dispute the story he can tell about his global leadership or disagree with his strong assertion of democratic values. Biden has delivered on his 2020 pledge to revitalize America’s alliances and helped orchestrate a coordinated NATO response to the war in Ukraine that has held the line against Russian forces for nearly two and a half years.
Biden’s most trusted aides believe that a strong performance could keep some of the Democratic lawmakers with reservations from speaking out publicly. Beyond that, they hope a strong articulation of shared values and forceful responses to tough questions will reassure those questioning his stamina and ability to keep doing the job.