President Joe Biden made an unexpected appearance in the White House press briefing room on Friday afternoon, which quickly devolved into chaos.
Biden began by touting the administration’s economic accomplishments. After his remarks, he agreed to take a few questions but asked White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre to select the reporters for him.
“I mean, he came today, and you got to see him. And you were here,” Jean-Pierre remarked, attempting to maintain control.
Despite reporters having several opportunities to question the president, none brought up Hurricane Helene or the government’s response to the disaster. Instead, many focused on Israel and its potential reaction to recent attacks by Iran.
One journalist asked Biden about the various crises facing the country, including the hurricane, the port strike, and the Middle East, and inquired about Vice President Kamala Harris’s role. Biden struggled through his response, saying, “Well, she’s— I’m in constant contact with her. She’s aware of where we’re all— we’re singing from the same song sheet. We uh— she helped pass all the laws that are being employed now. She was a major player in everything we’ve done, including passage of legislation, which we were told we could never pass.”
Following Biden’s answer, the room erupted as reporters shouted their questions, eager to capitalize on the rare opportunity to speak with the president. Biden smiled and appeared to stare blankly at the crowd while Jean-Pierre tried to restore order, saying, “I didn’t call on you, sir,” to one reporter.
As Biden left the room, a journalist asked if he would reconsider his decision not to run for president. Turning around, Biden quipped, “I’m back in,” which was met with laughter from the press.
Jean-Pierre continued the briefing, starting her remarks by saying, “This week, the United States has faced a number of competing challenges, from tensions in the Middle East to a port strike that threatened our nation’s supply chains to a historic hurricane that washed away entire communities.”
Despite her statements, many in hurricane-affected areas have criticized the administration’s response as inadequate. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp (R) notably expressed his frustration, saying, “We called the White House. We spoke to the president’s chief of staff, the FEMA administrator, and said, ‘Look, you’re sending the signal that you’re not paying attention to some of these rural communities.’”
Jean-Pierre denied claims that FEMA funds were redirected to support illegal immigrants and stressed the need for additional disaster relief funding.
When asked why this was Biden’s first time in the press briefing room since taking office, Jean-Pierre said, “Yeah. And you’re welcome. You’re welcome… He was here. He took your questions.”
