NOTE: A live feed of the press conference will stream in the player above as it begins at 5:30 p.m. CT
President Joe Biden will make a rare address Thursday in a highly anticipated moment following a presidential debate that left many questioning the future of his presidency.
Biden, 81, will close out the NATO summit in Washington — an event meant to showcase his leadership on the world stage — with a rare solo press conference. His stamina and effectiveness are under the microscope like never before and he's struggling to quell the Democratic Party's panic about his chances this November.
Despite a drumbeat of calls from some in his party to step aside, Biden has dug in, insisting he's the best Democrat to defeat Trump, whose candidacy he's called an existential threat to democracy.
The news conference is the key event in a monumental week for Biden's campaign and will be closely watched in the lead-up to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. To date, Biden has held the fewest news conferences, 37, since Ronald Reagan, who had held 25 at the same point in his presidency, according to research by Martha Kumar, a Towson University presidential scholar.
Here's how to watch:
What time is President Biden's press conference?
Biden is scheduled to take questions from the White House press corps at 5:30 p.m. CT Thursday. It had initially been slated for 4:30 p.m., but the White House moved the time to an hour later.
Where is Biden speaking?
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly> Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
Biden will be speaking from the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, a short distance from the White House, where many events of the ongoing NATO summit are being held.
Where can you watch it?
NBC Chicago will offer a live feed of the address in the player above. This will include a Special Report from NBC News, followed by coverage from NBC Chicago political reporter Mary Ann Ahern.
Coverage will be viewable via streaming on the NBC 5 Chicago 24/7 streaming channel, along with the Special Report airing on NBC 5.
The White House also streams much of its live content.
Will Biden know the questions ahead of time?
Aside from some apparent exceptions, it's not standard practice for the president to know precisely what will come up during interviews or news conferences.
His aides prepare him for a host of possibilities based off the headlines of the day, so they’re prepping him for the likelihood that journalists will want to ask about his fitness for office, the NATO summit or other topics.
How many questions will he take?
That's not set in stone, and there's not a ton of precedent.
Biden hasn’t held very many news conferences that aren’t tied to a foreign leader’s visit or trips abroad. Typically, those are what’s known in the business as a “2+2,” meaning two reporters from the U.S. and two foreign reporters ask questions.
What's up next?
Biden returns to the campaign trail with a trip to Michigan Friday. He will also do an interview with NBC on Monday.
