The US president is expected to use a NATO summit in Washington to counter rising calls for him to drop his reelection bid. NATO leaders are set to discuss the future of aid to Ukraine.
US President Joe Biden was defiant against suggestions he is in cognitive decline ahead of a major NATO summit on Tuesday.
In a surprise call-in to the cable news show “Morning Joe” on Monday, Biden said he was getting “frustrated” by calls for him to pull out of the presidential race in favor of a different Democratic candidate.
He added that anyone was welcome to challenge him for the nomination at the party convention in August if they thought voters would support them.
In a letter to fellow party members, Biden wrote: “I wouldn’t be running again if I did not absolutely believe I was the best person to beat Donald Trump in 2024…We had a Democratic nomination process and the voters have spoken clearly and decisively.”
The New York Times has reported that Biden had repeatedly been visited by a neurologist specializing in Parkison’s disease.
But White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre refused to confirm the report during a news briefing on Monday.
“Has the President been treated for Parkinson’s? No. Is he being treated for Parkinson’s? No, he’s not. Is he taking medication for Parkinson’s? No,” she said.
Biden’s personal physician, Kevin O’Connor, said in a letter that Biden “has not seen a neurologist outside of his annual physical.”
Biden was expected to use the NATO summit in Washington to press his case after a television debate against presumptive Republican nominee Trump in June left voters questioning if age was taking its toll on the president.
