Pressure Builds On Biden As News Conference Fails To Stop Critics

United States President Joe Biden’s press conference in which he insisted he was still fit to run for US president has failed to silence critics from his own party.

Three Democratic politicians joined the growing list calling on Mr Biden to drop out of the US presidential race.

Calls for the 81-year-old to step aside have escalated since he stumbled through a TV debate with Republican Donald Trump last month.

At an hour-long briefing taking reporters’ questions on Thursday night he was more steady and fluent but there were also gaffes.

He mistakenly referred to his deputy, Kamala Harris, as “Vice President Trump” when answering the first question.

Two hours earlier at a Nato event he introduced Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelensky as “President Putin” before correcting himself.

It means Mr Biden’s candidacy still remains in peril, with the possibility of more defections over the next few days.

Some donors including Hollywood actor George Clooney have pulled their financial support, saying he is not competent to carry out another four-year term.

One Democratic fundraiser who wants Mr Biden to step down told the BBC that like-minded Biden sceptics felt the president had done OK at the news conference, but not well enough to change minds.