Biden Co-Chair: Don’t Set ‘Stakes Too High’ for NATO Presser, Bar ‘So High’ a Man with ‘Slight Stutter’ Can’t Clear It

On Wednesday’s broadcast of CNN’s “The Source,” Biden Campaign Co-Chair Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) said that he has told his Senate colleagues, “remember who Joe Biden is. We can’t set a bar so high that who Joe Biden’s been for 30 years can’t clear it. He’s always had a slight stutter. He’s always spoken a little off the cuff.” And that we shouldn’t “set the stakes too high” for his NATO press conference on Thursday.

Host Kaitlan Collins asked, “You’ve kind of been in this intermediary position, where, obviously, you know the President incredibly well, but also, you’re talking to all these senators, you know all of them. I’m sure they’re coming to you as well. What are you telling him about what you’re hearing from your fellow Senators?”

Coons answered, “That a lot of my colleagues have expressed concerns, that they needed to see him go out and campaign, do a long-form interview, do an unstructured press conference. But I have said to my colleagues, remember who Joe Biden is. We can’t set a bar so high that who Joe Biden’s been for 30 years can’t clear it. He’s always had a slight stutter. He’s always spoken a little off the cuff. In fact, what people loved about Joe Biden was he really spoke his mind. So, one of the things I struggled with, yesterday, at the NATO 75th summit, he gave a great speech. And on another news channel, the only thing they covered was one sentence where he mispronounced two words. Look, any of us, you, me, anyone who’s on TV or on the floor of the Senate or a President, who gives speeches over and over and over, you can always find a little clip that doesn’t look perfect. Joe Biden’s never been a flawless, smooth, and perfect speaker, but he’s always spoken from the heart. What my colleagues needed to see was him engaging and fighting, and that’s what they’re seeing.”

Collins then asked, “Tomorrow is his first solo press conference since November. When you look at the numbers, he’s done 36 news conferences to date since he’s been in office. That’s not as many as his predecessors had done. Trump had done 64 by this point, Obama, 72, Bush, 82. But he is going to be speaking tomorrow. How high do you think the stakes are for that press conference tomorrow?”

Coons responded, “I don’t think we should set the stakes too high. I think we should be looking at how he’s doing at the event today with the AFL-CIO, speaking to, obviously, a supportive group, they endorsed him, but, unscripted, no teleprompters. I hope he does well, I expect he’ll do well in the press conference tomorrow.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett