Biden makes shock look at White Home briefing
President Biden touted the September jobs report and mentioned that he might must ask Congress for extra money for Hurricane Helene catastrophe aid, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, throughout a shock White Home press briefing look.
President Biden entered the White Home briefing room on Friday to audible gasps from reporters as he unexpectedly took the rostrum and fielded questions.
It was the primary time that Biden, 81, made an look throughout a White Home press briefing since he assumed workplace in 2021. The president spoke briefly in regards to the averted port staff strike, Friday’s constructive jobs numbers and introduced that he might request extra cash from Congress to fund Hurricane Helene aid efforts.
“We’ll should take care of unexpected price what this hurricane goes to price. It may price some huge cash and I am in all probability going to should ask the Congress earlier than we go away for extra money to take care of a few of these issues,” Biden mentioned.
The Biden-Harris administration has come below hearth from former President Trump for a purportedly insufficient response to the devastation left by Helene. The loss of life toll in southeastern states hit hardest by the storm has risen previous 215, with greater than 100 lifeless in western North Carolina alone.Â
BIDEN GETS DEFENSIVE WHEN PUSHED ON WHO’S ‘COMMANDING’ HURRICANE HELENE RESPONSE
White Home Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre (L) fields a query for US President Joe Biden throughout the every day press briefing on the White Home in Washington, DC, on October 4, 2024. (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP by way of Getty Photos)
The White Home has pushed again exhausting in opposition to these criticisms, emphasizing that Biden has coordinated the federal response, together with approving emergency declarations and deploying 1,000 active-duty troopers to help search-and-rescue efforts. Greater than 4,800 personnel from FEMA and different businesses have been deployed to North Carolina and neighboring states impacted by Helene. Moreover, FEMA has shipped over 8.5 million meals, greater than 7 million liters of water, 150 turbines and over 220,000 tarps to assist response efforts, in keeping with the White Home.
As of Friday, the federal authorities has offered greater than $45 million in Particular person Help to survivors impacted by the storm, White Home press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre mentioned, together with within the type of one-time $750 funds from FEMA to certified candidates in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.Â
BUTTIGIEG’S MESSAGE ON RESTRICTING CIVILIAN DRONES NEAR HURRICANE HELENE DAMAGE PROMPTS OUTCRY, CLARIFICATION
US President Joe Biden and White Home Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre arrive to talk on the every day press briefing on the White Home in Washington, DC, on October 4, 2024. (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP by way of Getty Photos)
Biden’s shock in-person look within the White Home briefing room comes after an Axios report highlighted his absence from public view within the last months of his presidency.
Axios reported Thursday that Biden had not scheduled a public occasion in 43 of the 75 days since he dropped out of the 2024 presidential election. He has participated in only one marketing campaign occasion with Vice President Kamala Harris, who succeeded him because the Democratic nominee.Â
TRUMP TARGETS BIDEN, HARRIS OVER FEDERAL RESPONSE TO HURRICANE: ‘INCOMPETENTLY MANAGED’
President Biden speaks throughout the every day press briefing on the White Home in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 4, 2024. (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP by way of Getty Photos)
Critics, together with many Republicans, have questioned whether or not Biden is ready to deal with the pressures of the presidency at his superior age, noting that the majority of his public appearances are scheduled between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. The president has additionally solely given two interviews since July 21.
White Home spokesman Andrew Bates waved off criticism of Biden’s public schedule as a part of the White Home’s media technique in a press release to Axios.
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“Being commander-in-chief is about excess of public occasions, that are scheduled at strategic occasions to succeed in essentially the most People attainable, like earlier than 20 million People watch the nationwide night information,” Bates informed the outlet.
He added the president “works across the clock, lengthy earlier than and after these occasions, because the historic outcomes he continues to realize weekly for the American folks display.”
