White House seeks to 'turn the page' after Biden's debate performance with events, interview
The White House said Tuesday it wants to "turn the page" on President Joe Biden's debate performance last Thursday, which stoked renewed concerns about his age and mental fitness and set off alarm bells among some Democrats about his ability to carry on as the party's nominee.Biden has yet to take any questions from reporters on his politically disastrous debate showing against 2024 rival Donald Trump.That continued Tuesday as he visited an emergency operations center in Washington to discuss extreme heat and new workplace protections, where he largely read from a teleprompter and did not speak off-the-cuff as many critics said would be a true test of his competence.That will change on Friday when he sits for his first television interview since the debate with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos.White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre listens to a question during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, DC, July 2, 2024.Susan Walsh/APMORE: President Joe Biden to sit down with ABC News on Friday for first TV interview since debateThe White House, seeking to change the narrative before then, also announced a flurry of campaign stops in the coming week that will get Biden on the road and in front of voters.MORE: As questions swirl about fitness for office, Biden campaign outraised Trump in June fundraising haulPress secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Tuesday that Biden will speak with Democratic lawmakers and governors on Wednesday to address their concerns before traveling to battleground states this weekend.Biden will be in Wisconsin on Friday and Pennsylvania on Sunday, Jean-Pierre said, and will give a solo news conference during next week's NATO summit that he's hosting in Washington."We're going to turn the page," she said.
"We're going to get out there.Across the country, Americans are going to see him for themselves."President Joe Biden speaks during a visit to the D.C.
Emergency Operations Center, Washington, DC, July 2, 2024.Evan...