DNC chair claims Biden ‘put on a masterclass’ during error-laden press conference

The chair of the Democratic National Committee has insisted President Biden “put on a masterclass” during his closely-watched press conference Thursday night — despite him mixing up Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.

Jaime Harrison gave the glowing review soon after the embattled 81-year-old president wrapped his error-laden “big boy press conference” at the end of the annual NATO summit in Washington DC.

“Listen, I think he was clear,” the DNC chair claimed during an MSNBC appearance. “I think he was strong.”

“He put on a masterclass in terms of complex international foreign policy tonight,” Harrison continued.

“You know, and the contrast is so clear. You could give Donald Trump a blank map and, ‘Say fill it in,’ and he would fail. Horribly. He wouldn’t have any clue where most of these countries were.”

Seperately, a White House spokesperson had heaped similar praise on Biden — even as the press conference was still unfolding.

“To answer the question on everyone’s minds: No, Joe Biden does not have a doctorate in foreign affairs,” Andrew Bates, the White House senior deputy press secretary, posted on X.

“He’s just that f–king good.”

The defense of Biden came despite the president’s performance being hit with mixed reviews.

While the press conference was set up to dispel mounting Democratic clamor for Biden to give up his re-election campaign after his disastrous June 27 debate, the commander-in-chief ended up compounding concerns by making contradictory remarks, forgetting questions and giving rambling answers on stage.

At one point, Biden confused Harris and Trump — prompting gasps and groans from the scores of journalists seated in the room.

“Look, I wouldn’t have picked Vice President Trump to be vice president if I think she’s not qualified to be president,” Biden said.

The gaffe came after Biden had earlier introduced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as “President Putin” at a separate event — confusing him with the Russian tyrant whose forces have waged war on his nation for two-and-a-half years.

Harrison, on his part, was immediately ripped on social media for blindly defending Biden’s press conference performance — with one raging that the president “sounded like a bumbling fool.”

“DNC Chair Jaime Harrison says Biden forgetting the name of his own vice president is ‘nitpicking’,” the RNC Research account tweeted.

What to know about the fallout from President Biden’s debate performance:

• President Biden’s poor performance in the first 2024 presidential debate left some Democrats unsure of his fitness for office and future as the party’s candidate.
• Biden told a crowd at a North Carolina rally the day after the debate that he doesn’t “debate as well as I used to” — but insisted that he can still “do this job.”
• The New York Times editorial board called on the president to serve the country by dropping out of the race. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution published a similar editorial a day later.
• In a pre-taped interview with ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos, Biden claimed that his “bad episode” at the debate was the result of a cold and not any cognitive issues.
• Biden has rejected calls for him to step down from fellow Democrats, insisting to Stephanopoulos that he is the most qualified to win the election. At a Wisconsin rally, he declared that he is “running and going to win again.”
• More than a dozen congressional Democrats have joined in calling for Biden’s exit from the race. Former Biden supporter George Clooney echoed these calls in an op-ed published in the New York Times just weeks after he helped lead a record-breaking fundraiser for the Democrat.
• Democratic voters have continued to raise concerns about Biden’s nomination since the debate, with speculations and suggestions for replacement nominees running rampant.

Another user chimed in: “Lol Jaime Harrison calling Biden’s press conference a ‘masterclass’ on MSNBC. I know it’s your job, man, but have some f–king shame…”

Still, elsewhere in his MSNBC interview, Harrison doubled down on his defense of Biden as he lashed out at fellow Democrats who have called on him to step aside.

“And so, Democrats, we’ve got to stop the handwringing. We got to stop the ‘woe is me,’ and understand our guy is much better – leagues better – than the other side,” the DNC chair said.

“And he has delivered in the past and he will deliver again. Let’s focus our energy going after Trump and Project 2025 because of what threats that they make to the American people.”

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