Joe Biden: US President surprise visit with reporters, Joe Biden shares concerns about election violence
The president Biden sought to boast about strong economic news, but ended up fielding questions about the crisis in the Middle East, the presidential contest and even the pope.
President Joe Biden takes questions at a White House press briefing on Friday.
President Joe Biden said he was concerned that the upcoming presidential election might not be peaceful, using a surprise appearance at the White House Briefing Room on Friday to suggest that former president Donald TrumpтАЩs rhetoric may lead to a тАЬdangerousтАЭ outcome.
Cut through the 2024 election noise. Biden said тАЬIтАЩm confident itтАЩll be free and fair. I donтАЩt know whether itтАЩll be peaceful,тАЭ. тАЬThe things that Trump has said and the things that he said last time out, when he didnтАЩt like the outcome of the election, were very dangerous.тАЭ
BidenтАЩs comments, which also referenced the refusal by TrumpтАЩs running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), to acknowledge the former presidentтАЩs 2020 election loss, came during his first-ever visit to a space where reporters typically question White House officials. The president sought to use the opportunity to boast about strong economic news but ended up fielding questions about the crisis in the Middle East, the presidential contest and even the pope.
Biden, who has held fewer news conferences than his predecessors, seemed eager to engage with reporters after a strong jobs report Friday and a deal to end a dockworkers strike. He also seemed eager to point out that his detractors тАФ some of whom had helped force him out of the presidential race in July тАФ had been proved wrong by the spate of good news coming into view during his final months in office.
тАЬOutside experts were wrong,тАЭ he said. тАЬInflation has come down. Wages have gone up faster than prices. Interest rates are down. A record 19 million new business applications have been filed for. The stock market continues to reach new heights.тАЭ
The appearance came as Biden тАФ as well as Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz тАФ have come under scrutiny for avoiding regular interactions with the media and unscripted moments. Surprise visits to the briefing room reflect a tradition that spans several presidencies, and one that Biden had skipped throughout his tenure before Friday.
Most of the questions the president fielded after his opening remarks were about the crisis in the Middle East, where the White House has been struggling to avert a regional war.
Biden said Friday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should тАЬrememberтАЭ that his administration has helped Israel more than any other, in response to a question about whether IsraelтАЩs actions were part of an effort to influence the U.S. election.
тАЬNo administration has helped Israel more than I have. None. None,тАЭ Biden said. тАЬAnd I think maybe Bibi should remember that. And whether heтАЩs trying to influence the election, I donтАЩt know, but IтАЩm not counting on that.тАЭ
Biden added that Israel had a right to respond to IranтАЩs recent attack but also suggested that if he were in NetanyahuтАЩs position, targeting Iranian oil facilities would not be his top priority.
тАЬI think if I were in their shoes, IтАЩd be thinking about other alternatives than striking oil fields,тАЭ Biden said, reiterating that Israel had not yet decided on how to respond.
Biden also said he was considering oil sanctions against Iran, but added that he did not want to discuss those deliberations publicly. The remarks came after Biden suggested Thursday тАЬweтАЩre discussing thatтАЭ when asked whether he would support an attack on Iranian oil facilities by Israel, though he cut himself off before completing his thought. Oil prices jumped after BidenтАЩs comment.
