President Joe Biden will hold a news conference Thursday, the key event in a monumental week during which the Democratic incumbent is fending off calls for him to step aside as the party’s presumptive nominee following a shaky debate performance.
It’s just the type of event that many political watchers have said Biden needs to pull off successfully to turn back demands — including from within his own party — that he withdraw from his reelection battle against presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump.
How to watch: Return to ajc.com or the AJC app to watch the news conference, currently scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Sign up for the AJC Politics newsletter for daily updates.
Biden has argued that he had a singularly bad night in Atlanta and that it wasn't representative of his mental acuity. A strong performance Thursday could convince members of his party that he still has the ability both to win in November and to serve a second term. A weak effort — or stumbles similar to his debate performances — could make the calls for him to withdraw grow much louder.
Here are the details on what White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has referenced as Biden's “big boy” news conference:
When is the news conference?
Biden is scheduled to take questions from the White House press corps at 6:30 p.m. Thursday. It was originally scheduled for an hour earlier.
Where is Biden speaking?
Biden will be speaking from the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, a short distance from the White House, where many events of the ongoing NATO summit are being held.
What channel is carrying it?
The White House streams much of its live content. Given the attention on this event, television networks could also break away from programming to carry Biden's remarks live once he starts speaking.
AJC.com and and the AJC app will carry a livestream when the news conference begins.
What's up next?
Biden returns to the campaign trail with a trip to Michigan Friday. He will also do an interview with NBC on Monday.
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Associated Press writer Colleen Long in Washington contributed to this report. This article has been updated to reflect a revised time of 6:30 p.m. for the news conference.
