Biden is set to hold a rare press conference - and he has a lot to prove

Presidential press conferences are a rarity under Joe Biden.

But later today, he will face the White House press corps and take questions in what will be a critical moment for his campaign.

It should be unremarkable, but only Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan have held fewer Q&A’s with journalists.

After his disastrous debate performance appearance in Atlanta a fortnight ago, suddenly his bid for a second term is being openly questioned by members of his own party.

It makes this evening’s appearance in front of the cameras not only rare, but highly consequential.

One slip up, rambling answer, or hesitation could further weaken his "dam of support" within the party, which is already showing some significant cracks.

The first sitting Democratic Senator Peter Welch from Vermont has now joined more than 10 Democratic members of the House publicly saying he’s too old to run again.

Perhaps the most damaging criticism though came in the form of an op-ed in the New York Times by Hollywood actor and personal friend, George Clooney.

He was withering in his assessment saying: “the one battle he cannot win is the fight against time”.

“The Joe Biden I was with three months ago…(at a fundraiser in LA) was the same man we witnessed at the debate…We are not going to win in November with this president,” he added.

Ouch! The polls are getting ever worse for the 46th incumbent of the White House.

A recent ABC sounding found 67% of US adults think he should quit the race and even among Democrats more than half (56%) think he should pull out.

His appearances since the debate - including an interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos and a call into the MSNBC Morning Show - have done little to allay the fears around his mental acuity.

The 81-year-old was combative, but at times his answers were incomplete.

Tonight, he’ll be facing multiple hostile questions from a press pack that scents blood.

However, there seems little chance his own party grandees, like Senate Leader Chuck Schumer or House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries will publicly move against him while the Nato conference is ongoing.

Besides, there is no formal mechanism for removing him as the presumptive nominee even if they wanted to. This is a decision which can only be made by Biden himself.

But, there is a feeling in Washington that the pressure is building against him.

With every new voice calling for him to go, that dam of support looks less like it will hold until November.

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