The Scoop: Did Joe Biden do enough in make-or-break presser?

President Joe Biden entered Thursday night’s press briefing with one goal in mind: silencing his critics. And depending on who or what you read, he did – or he didn’t.

After opening with scripted comments, the 81-year-old Democrat embarked on a nearly hourlong question-and-answer session to discuss national and domestic issues, as well address concerns from both sides of the aisle about his health.

However, a handful of gaffes – including once referring to Vice President Kamala Harris as “Vice President Trump” – led to at least three more of Biden’s Democratic colleagues calling on him to drop out of the race following his new conference: Rep. Scott Peters (California), Rep. Eric Sorensen (Illinois) and Rep. Jim Himes (Connecticut).

Following the event, many on Capitol Hill continued to voice their support for Biden, including Ron Klain, a former White House chief of staff, who said the president delivered a “strong performance” with a very strong economic message “about lowering prices and growing the economy,” according to the New York Times.

Why it matters: By most accounts, Biden did the bare minimum he needed to do to continue to be seen as a viable candidate by his own party. Compared to his raspy, confused debate performance, Biden gave off a more confident and fiery appearance, a few name bobbles aside. Anything less likely would have led to a widescale revolt from his own party.

But now the road ahead is, in many ways, even more uncertain. Biden performed adequately, but didn’t put those concerns to rest. His every appearance for the rest of the campaign – and beyond, should he win – will be scrutinized for signs of decline. Any further missteps, even those which might be understandable for someone so often in the public eye, could spell disaster for his campaign.

Biden and his team must continue to project confidence and strength at every turn. There is certainly no mistaking his message: he’s in this race, and he’s in it to win it. No one can be in doubt about his own intentions, regardless of what his party might think.

But the biggest question is, what will voters make of it all? Will his steadfastness and determination win over independent voters – or did the debate do too much damage?

Editor’s Top Reads:

• Nike got caught in the social media crosshairs this week when rumors circulated about the sportswear company’s role in keeping NBA superstar Jaylen Brown off Team USA’s roster for the upcoming Paris Olympics. Brown, the reigning NBA Finals MVP, was a leading candidate to fill a vacant roster spot. However, the national team instead chose Derrick White, Brown’s teammate on the Boston Celtics, instead. Many social media users speculated that it was shoe politics, not Brown’s basketball skills, that led to the decision. Brown has had several negative interactions with Nike in recent years, including criticizing the shoemaker’s “ethics” in 2022 after it dropped Kyrie Irving, according to CBS News. Brown fanned the conspiracy flames with an X post seemingly accusing Nike of playing a role: “@nike this what we doing ?” The rumor became so widespread that it drew a denial from Grant Hill, the managing director of the USA men’s national team, who framed it as being a difficult basketball decision, per NBC Sports Boston. So far, Nike has elected to remain quiet on the situation, which is certain to raise more questions. If Nike wasn’t behind the move, saying so would not quell the rumors entirely, but it would help. This is a reminder that your silence can speak loudly. In this case, expect it to be seen as an admission and to keep this story in the news even longer.
• Whataburger unexpectedly found itself as a symbol of hope amid the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl. Houston residents, many of whom have been without electricity as a result of the storm, used the fast-food chain’s app as a power outage tracker. The app’s restaurant map function showed which of the 165 Houston-area Whataburger locations were open and closed, indicating which had electricity. Whataburger has embraced this unconventional role. “”Whataburger is that friend by your side in good times and bad,” Ed Nelson, the company’s president and CEO, said in a statement. Beyond filling an information gap, Whataburger plans to donate water to local shelters through the American Red Cross and to deliver meals via its food truck, Houston Public Media reported. Will Whataburger get some free press out of this situation? Definitely. But you can’t put an earned media value on being a good member of the community. Putting out good energy and supporting your customers “in the good times and the bad” is an important, way to generate long-term loyalty.
• After years of soaring grocery prices, customers may finally have hit their limit. PepsiCo reported a 4% drop in its Frito-Lay North America division sales in the last quarter, according to the Wall Street Journal. Sales had remained strong even as prices rose as customers considered picking up a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos an affordable treat, even if they cost more than they did in 2019. But we may have reached the limit of what customers are willing to pay, even for small luxuries. Pepsi is now focusing on value: for instance, rather than offering a buy one, get one free promotion, they’re looking at lower price points for individual items, or offering variety packs to boost the perception of what you get for the dollar. Today’s economic environment remains unsettled and complex, but warning bells are signaling that belt-tightening is at hand for cost-conscious shoppers.

Casey Weldon is a reporter for PR Daily. Follow him on LinkedIn.