New Jersey
Biden at NATO press conference rebuts doubters: ‘I’m the best qualified to govern’ • New Jersey Monitor
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden dug in on his 2024 reelection bid Thursday at a solo press conference following the NATO summit in Washington, despite a growing list of rank-and-file Democrats and high-profile supporters urging him to abandon his campaign over suspected health concerns.
The highly anticipated press conference followed weeks of speculation about Biden’s ability to hold office and whether he should remain in the 2024 presidential election against former President Donald Trump. His performance, while markedly stronger than his devastating debate performance, still included a notable gaffe and could leave questions open.
In response to the first question, about if Vice President Kamala Harris would be an able candidate against Trump, Biden mixed up their names.
“I wouldn’t have picked Vice President Trump to be vice president if I didn’t think she was not qualified to be president,” he said.
Biden fielded a wide range of questions from reporters from both the U.S. and overseas for just less than an hour. The meeting with the press came exactly two weeks after the June 27 debate, during which Biden stumbled repeatedly, spoke in a hoarse voice and appeared unable to finish some sentences.
Biden and the White House have repeatedly attributed the debate as a “bad night” and pointed to clean results from his last three annual physical examinations.
Asked directly about congressional Democrats’ unease about his candidacy, Biden said he had made a final decision to remain in the race, but was working to show doubters he was up to the task and responding to criticism that he could not handle impromptu questioning.
“I’m determined on running,” he said. “But I think it’s important that I allay fears by seeing — let them see me out there.”
Not stepping aside
He added that delegates pledged to him through the Democratic nominating process should be free to vote their conscience, but that no one had a better alternative to his candidacy against Trump, the presumed Republican candidate.
“I believe I’m the best qualified to govern and I think I’m the best qualified to win,” Biden said. “But there are other people who could beat Trump, too, but it’s awful hard to start from scratch.”
Asked if he would step aside if his polling data showed Harris could beat Trump, Biden said he would not, unless it also showed he could not win.
“No one’s saying that,” he added in a whisper. “No poll says that.”
Harris is seen as the likeliest replacement for Biden if he were to leave the race.
A trickle of congressional Democrats calling for him to leave the race since July 2 turned to a stream this week — with some reports indicating a poor performance Thursday night could give way to a flood.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a decades-long friend of Biden’s, urged colleagues in an MSNBC interview Wednesday to “let (Biden) deal with this NATO conference, this is a very big deal.”
At the time Biden began his Thursday press conference, 14 Democrats in Congress had explicitly called for him to leave the race, with others suggesting it.
Shortly after the press conference concluded, two more, Connecticut’s Jim Himes and California’s Scott Peters, called on Biden to step aside.
Biden should “make room for a new generation of leaders,” Himes, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, wrote in a statement posted to X.
Peters’ statement was provided to Politico.
Emphasis on foreign policy
Biden, who has rarely held press conferences, consulted a list of reporters and took questions that ranged from his fitness to serve as president to his handling of the Israel-Hamas war.
He lauded his accomplishments in office and said his job performance showed he was still up for the job.
“If I slow down, I can’t get the job done, that’s a sign that I shouldn’t be doing it,” he said. “But there’s no indication of that yet. None.”
Biden — a former chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee — appeared more comfortable on foreign policy questions than he was discussing his political future, providing in-depth answers on the Israel-Hamas war, China’s growing influence on the world stage and Ukraine’s war with Russia.
Trump mocks Biden
While Biden’s voice and grasp on the issues appeared stronger than he was at the debate, he still made several speaking mistakes, including the confusion between his vice president and Trump.
Trump mocked the mix-up on his social media platform Truth Social with a post saying “Great job, Joe!”
Later, Biden said Harris was qualified to be president and that is why he picked her as a running mate. His comments were worthy of attention given Harris would likely become the nominee if Biden were to step down.
Biden attacks Trump on NATO
Biden declared the summit a “great success” and underlined the U.S. commitment to the alliance and to Ukraine’s war against Russia.
“For those who thought NATO’s time had passed, they got a rude awakening when Putin invaded Ukraine. Some of the oldest and deepest fears in Europe roared back to life because once again a murderous madman was on the march. This time, no one cowered in appeasement, especially the United States,” Biden said.
Prior to taking questions, he attacked Trump’s record of disparaging NATO and its foundational commitment to defend fellow member nations. The former president has threatened to withdraw from NATO and accused allies of shortchanging the organization’s defense coffers.
“A strong NATO is essential to American security, and I believe the obligation of Article Five is sacred. And I remind all Americans, Article Five was invoked only once in NATO’s long history, and that was to defend America after 9/11,” Biden said.
The three-day summit largely centered on Russia’s ongoing bombardment and occupation of parts of Ukraine. World leaders promised a path for Ukraine to join the alliance, and the event culminated with the U.S. joining two dozen allies in signing the Ukraine Compact to “(a)ffirm that the security of Ukraine is integral to the security of the Euro-Atlantic region and beyond.”
Biden sat down with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier Thursday to underscore military assistance including “working with our NATO allies to ensure Ukraine is flying F-16s this summer.”
Zelenskyy thanked Biden for his “support and personal statement” following Russia’s strike on a children’s hospital in Kyiv Monday. Biden shook his head and responded the attack was “sick.”
Another flub
Between his meeting with Zelenskyy and the press conference, Biden introduced the Ukrainian president at a separate event to sign the compact, but mistakenly called him President Putin — the Russian leader at war with Zelenskyy’s country — before correcting himself.
When asked about the blunder, Biden acknowledged that he made the mistake but said that he corrected it immediately.
“I thought it was the most successful conference I’ve attended in a long time and find me a world leader who didn’t think it was,” he replied.
Biden did not stumble earlier in the week when he delivered remarks at NATO’s 75th anniversary event; rather, his voice remained steady and firm as he opened the ceremony for leaders from the 32 member nations.
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New survey data released May 13 suggests affordability pressures are increasingly shaping whether older New Jersey residents stay or leave the state.
More than one-third of residents age 45 and older – 35% – said they have considered leaving New Jersey in the past year, according to a new AARP New Jersey “Vital Voices” survey. Among those weighing a move, 67% said the high cost of living is a primary reason.
The findings come as state lawmakers continue discussions centered on property taxes, utility costs and policies aimed at helping residents age in place.
“New Jersey should be a place where people can afford to grow older, not a place they feel forced to leave,” Chris Widelo, state director of AARP New Jersey, said in a statement. “Right now, rising costs are pushing people out.”
NJ property taxes, utilities driving concern
Affordability pressures extend across multiple key household costs.
Property taxes remain a central concern, with 53% of respondents citing them as a factor in considering leaving the state. The survey also found strong support for the Stay NJ program, which provides eligible homeowners with up to $6,500 in annual property tax relief.
Nearly two-thirds of respondents (65%) said they support keeping the program intact, including maintaining the full benefit.
Rising utility costs are also a growing concern. About 89% of respondents said they are worried about increasing electricity bills, including a majority who said they are “very concerned.”
Support for caregiving relief, transparency
The survey highlights financial and logistical pressures facing caregivers, as more residents provide unpaid care for aging relatives.
More than half – 54% – of adults age 45 and older said they have served as unpaid caregivers. A majority said caregiving costs are a financial concern, and 86% expressed support for a caregiver tax credit.
Respondents also backed greater oversight of long-term care facilities. Strong majorities said they support requirements for nursing homes to disclose ownership, staffing levels and financial arrangements, along with greater transparency in how Medicaid funding is spent.
What it means for NJ budget talks
The findings underscore a broader policy debate in Trenton over how to address affordability challenges while maintaining services.
AARP New Jersey is urging state leaders to prioritize policies that reduce financial strain on older adults, including property tax relief, utility affordability and support for caregivers.
“This survey sends a clear message,” Widelo said. “If New Jersey wants to remain a place where people can age with dignity, we must focus on making it more affordable to stay.”
This story was created by reporter Joe Martino, jmartino@usatodayco.com, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more.
New Jersey
24-year-old elected mayor of NJ town as incumbent faced backlash in wake of massive warehouse fire
BELLEVILLE, New Jersey (WABC) — Frank Vélez, a 24-year-old town councilman, was elected as the new mayor of Belleville, New Jersey, on Tuesday.
Vélez may be young, but he has years of experience after he became involved in politics at 19 because his sister has special needs.
He has served on the school board in Belleville and the town council, and he was on the staff of former congressman Bill Pascrell.
Vélez said his win is a testament to hard work.
“We ran on getting back to the basics, the quality of life. Talking about responsible development and just talking about getting back to the priorities of working people,” Vélez said.
Incumbent Michael Melham faced backlash for his handling of a massive warehouse fire that shut down schools for more than a week.
There has been growing pessimism in town, highlighted by the massive 14-alarm warehouse fire this month that caused residents to evacuate and schools to shut down for days.
Parents and educators wrote a joint letter critical of Melham and school leadership for failing to communicate with parents during the emergency.
“In the hours and days following the fire, our community was left navigating uncertainty with little or no official instruction, resorting to group chats and scavenging social media for guidance or information, both of which should have been provided by the government that we entrust for such tasks,” the letter read in part.
Vélez said he’s ready to get to work.
“I feel grateful. I am humbled, and I’m just- just so ready to get to work as the next mayor of Belleville. And I’m so grateful to everyone for support. This was a resounding victory,” Vélez said.
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Round-trip bus fares for fans attending the 2026 FIFA World Cup have been cut by 75% as officials scrambled to secure backup transportation between the Big Apple and New Jersey, a new report said.
The New York/New Jersey host committee slashed fares from $80 to $20 for ticket holders traveling from three Manhattan locations to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ — and boosted capacity from 10,000 to 18,000 seats by adding yellow school buses for the eight World Cup games, The Athletic reported.
Buses will shuttle up to 18,000 people on non-school matchdays, and about 12,000 on school-day games between June 13 and July 19.
The steep price cut comes after New York Gov. Kathy Hochul pumped $6 million into hacking down fares – with the investment setting aside about 20% of bus tickets for state residents who have purchased match tickets, the outlet reported.
Sources familiar with ticket sales told the Athletic that about 25% to 30% of tri-state area residents have already scooped up admissions for games at MetLife Stadium.
Alongside the major investment, Highland Fleets, which manages electric school bus fleets, worked with the New York City School Bus Umbrella Services – after contacting Hochul, the committee, and NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani – to secure additional buses, with about 300 hitting the road on peak matchdays.
The transit rides will leave from the Port Authority Bus Terminal, a Midtown east location east of Grand Central Terminal, and a Midtown North location west of Central Park, the outlet reported.
Highland Fleets chief operating officer Ben Schutzman said the goal was to create “affordable and accessible” bus services during the World Cup, while a Mamdani spokesperson praised the mayor’s support for discounted rides for ticketholders.
“Mayor Mamdani supports any effort that makes transportation more affordable for New Yorkers – including reduced-cost buses for World Cup ticketholders,” the mayor’s rep told the outlet.
“We look forward to rolling out additional free and affordable events to ensure that all New Yorkers can enjoy the World Cup.”
The price-slashing effort comes days after New Jersey Transit trimmed its widely slammed World Cup fare hike by 30% after securing funding from “sponsors and other sources.”
The new price will be set at $105 for a round-trip ticket from Manhattan to MetLife after fares were bumped more than 1,000% from the standard $12.90 ticket to a whopping $150.
The eight games being played at the Garden State stadium are set for June 13, June 16, June 22, June 25, June 27, June 30, July 5, and July 19.
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