On Tuesday, Karine Jean-Pierre held a White House press briefing.
Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:
https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript
Stay Connected
Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes
More From Forbes: http://forbes.com
Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:
https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript
Stay Connected
Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes
More From Forbes: http://forbes.com
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Hi. Good afternoon, everyone. Really sorry for the delay. I just got out of the Oval
00:11Office with the President, who wanted me to relay a few new messages to you all on Hurricane
00:17Beryl. This is important to him, and he knows it's important to the people of Texas, so
00:22he wanted to make sure that before I came out here, I had all of this information. So
00:27the President spoke with Houston Mayor Whitmire and Harris County Judge Lena Hidalgo about
00:34the impacts of Hurricane Beryl, and they both asked for help from the federal government.
00:41Because the Governor of Texas is currently out of the country, the President then called
00:45the Lieutenant Governor of Texas to ensure that Texans are getting the resources they
00:50need and deserve following this devastating storm. On the call, the President raised the
00:56need for a major disaster declaration and immediately approved it while on the call
01:03when the Lieutenant Governor requested it. With this major disaster declaration in place,
01:08we will be able to provide life-saving and life-sustaining activities. The President
01:13and his team have been working around the clock for the past two days to ensure Texas
01:18has the resources and tools needed to respond to Beryl and keep Americans safe. Officials
01:25from the U.S. Coast Guard and FEMA have been on the ground, and senior White House officials
01:30have been in constant contact with their counterparts. While the storm has passed, our greatest concern
01:37right now is power outages and extreme heat, so we want to encourage residents to remain
01:43vigilant as temperatures rise, especially older adults and those with underlying health
01:48conditions. Fortunately, 800,000 have had power restored overnight, and we expect another
01:55one million to have their power restored today. The federal government has also offered generators
02:02to help reduce the impact of the power outages. The President continues to take decisive action
02:09to help the people of Texas recover, and he looks forward to working with the state to
02:13get more critical resources to the people that need them.
02:18I also want to share one additional scheduling item with all of you, as well at the top.
02:23In addition to many NATO meetings we announced yesterday, on Thursday afternoon, President
02:28Biden will meet with President Zelensky of Ukraine to discuss our unwavering support
02:34for Ukraine as it continues to defend itself from Russian aggression. That meeting will
02:39be at 1.30 p.m. at the Convention Center, which, as you all know, is where the NATO
02:45sessions are being held, and it will take place just before the NATO-Ukraine Council
02:51meeting. This will be the third meeting between both Presidents in recent weeks following
02:57their sit-down in France and also a sit-down at the G7 in Italy, and it will further demonstrate
03:04the strength of the partnership between our countries.
03:07And finally, just a personal note here, I want to say a few words about Sam Michel here,
03:13who served as Acting Deputy Press Secretary for the part of – a good part of this year.
03:20We are sad that today is indeed his last day, but we are so grateful for his service, and
03:27he has been an incredible colleague. He has – we were lucky to have him on our team,
03:31on our press team. His sharpness, his ability to stay calm under pressure, and his strategic
03:36thinking has been a real asset to us all. Sam, you will be greatly missed. Thank you
03:41so much for being on the team and stepping in when we – stepping in when we really
03:45needed you.
03:46Okay. All right. Song Min.
03:47Thank you. I just wanted to get a clarification on the letter that was sent last night from
03:48Dr. O'Connor.
03:49Sure, absolutely.
03:50And you can correct me if I'm wrong, but it didn't seem to explicitly describe the
03:51nature of Dr. Kinnard's meeting with Dr. O'Connor. So can you say whether that one
04:07meeting was related to care for the President himself?
04:10I can say that it was not.
04:11It was not. Okay, that's great. And can I just ask why that information that was released
04:16last night just wasn't said at the briefing yesterday?
04:20Well, no. Actually, a lot of what is in the letter was said at the briefing, to be very,
04:25very clear. I said many of the things that were laid out in the letter was actually repeated
04:31right here behind this lectern at this podium yesterday. It was –
04:35How much said that?
04:36Hold on. I said many of the things, many of the things, and we got clarification, obviously,
04:43from Dr. O'Connor, but it was in line with what I said. When I said only three, right,
04:50I said only three visits that this particular doctor had. I said a neurologist. What I was
04:55not able to confirm is the name, and the reason why is because we do not share private information.
05:04That is something that we respect, and we wanted to make sure that we protected our
05:09consultants here that work with the White House Medical Unit, their security as well.
05:14And so that is the one thing that I was not able to confirm. Obviously, Dr. O'Connor's
05:18letter confirms that, but we had to get permission from Dr. Karnard and also the President in
05:24order to put that information, and it is not normal, and that also states that in Dr. O'Connor.
05:30But many of the things that I said right here at this podium is in the letter.
05:35And can I just also ask a little, this is the second time in less than a week where
05:40the briefing had prompted a need for later clarification on questions about the President's
05:45health, and I'm just wondering if you could speak to...
05:48So I disagree. I disagree so many. It's not. Yesterday, a lot of the things that I said
05:53right here in this briefing room, I know you were not in the briefing room, I actually,
05:56it's in the letter. It was in the letter. It was being incorrectly assumed and insinuated
06:01that the President had seen Dr. Karnard more than three times. I said that it was only
06:06three times that the President had seen a neurologist. I didn't confirm the name, but
06:10I did say it was only three times. It was being incorrectly assumed and insinuated that
06:15the President was being treated for Parkinson's. I said right here that the President was not
06:18being treated for Parkinson's. I actually went a step further and said he wasn't taking
06:23medication for Parkinson's. I said that right here. It was also being assumed and insinuated
06:27that Dr. Karnard was someone who only worked on Parkinson's when, in fact, he's a general
06:33neurologist. That was something that Dr. O'Connor was actually able to confirm, that he was
06:37a general neurologist. In fact, a general neurologist. And we also wanted to set the...
06:43We just wanted to set the record straight. And so it is important, we believe it was
06:49important to all of you. I actually even said here at the podium, if there was more information
06:54that we could provide, we would do that. We would do that. And we did. But many of
07:01the things that I said right here is in the letter. Is in the letter.
07:06Does the President feel like he's beat back this effort to force him to step aside?
07:13Look, you know, you heard the President yesterday when he called into Morning Joe, did about
07:1818 minutes of Q&A yesterday morning. He spoke very, I think, forcefully, passionately about
07:26where he stands, about how he sees things moving forward. And we also have said many
07:32times we respect. We respect members of Congress. We respect their view. But I also want to
07:38say there's a long, also a long list of congressional members who have been very clear and in support
07:46of this President. Whether it's the CBC, who gave a full support, the Congressional Black
07:52Caucus, for folks who are watching and are not sure what CBC is, they were very much
07:58supportive. They said, we think that... This is Representative Joyce Beatty, to be clear.
08:03We think that the call went extremely well. The President was very responsive. Representative
08:07Troy Carter, who's also a member of the CBC, he was elated to hear directly from the President
08:14and that he is all in. And we are all in with him. You heard from, you got a Congressional
08:18Hispanic Caucus. They put out a statement in full support of this President. And there
08:23are others. And so, look, he is going to focus on continuing to work on behalf of the American
08:30people, continuing to build on an unprecedented record that he's been able to get done with
08:35many of these congressional members that he's proud to have worked with. But that's his
08:40focus right now. That's his focus.
08:41Is he still talking to more people, more Congress?
08:44He's going to continue to engage. As you saw him in Pennsylvania, when he was in the Commonwealth
08:52on the road, he had the two of the senators, two of the congressional members with him,
08:57the House members with him. He's going to be traveling later in the week. He's going
09:01to be engaging. I mentioned yesterday his robust schedule for the next two weeks when
09:06he's in state. He certainly will continue to engage. I don't have a list of additional
09:13calls to read out, but he did CBC last night, Congressional Black Caucus. And he's going
09:18to continue and engage as he has been.
09:20Go ahead, Mary.
09:21Just to follow on that, the President has made clear he's done talking about the debate.
09:24It is time to move on. But some of his allies have made clear they're very much still in
09:28this wait-and-see mode. I mean, Senator Patty Murray is saying he must do more to demonstrate
09:32he can campaign strong enough to beat Trump. Senator Durbin is saying he's concerned whether
09:36this is just a one-off or a larger issue. So I guess, you know, how worried is the President
09:41that despite his best efforts, he's not going to be able to close the book on these concerns?
09:45And, Mary, I appreciate the question, but as you know, there are hundreds of members
09:49in Congress, hundreds. And I laid out a list of folks who have supported him. We've heard
09:55from Senator Coons. We've heard from Senator Fetterman. There's support there as well for
09:59him. And so we just want to make sure that we put that out there as well.
10:03We want the party united behind him.
10:05Absolutely. And, look, Representative Gregory Meeks said coming out of the congressional
10:09Democrats' meeting said that they're united. And you just saw the Dem caucus leadership
10:15take questions from some of your colleagues over at the Capitol. So that is important
10:21as well to note. But, look, he had a bad night. We've talked about it. He understands people's
10:28concerns. We have been out there, as we have been in previous months, but out there obviously
10:33in the past 10 days, more than 10 days now, since the debate. And you see from his engagement
10:40with everyday people on the ground, you see him with congressional members having – who
10:46are showing their support, speaking on behalf of this President while we're on the ground
10:51in that respective state or commonwealth, being where we were in Pennsylvania on Sunday.
10:56And so we're just going to continue that.
10:58But, look, what we can say, what I can say is, look, we respect people's opinion. These
11:03are – you just mentioned two senators that we were very proud working with over the past
11:07three and a half years to get historic legislation done, and that's what we want to focus on.
11:13You're right. We do want to turn the page. You heard me say this last week. We want to
11:16get to the other side of this. We want to continue doing the work, and that's what
11:20the President's going to do.
11:21And just to be clear, does he have plans to talk with leadership again soon?
11:25I don't have any calls. We don't have calls to read out or to preview. He is going to
11:30continue to engage. I just don't have anything right now to share at this moment. He talked
11:35to CBC – again, the Congressional Black Caucus members yesterday. They had a very,
11:41very good call. And so he's going to continue to engage.
11:44Okay.
11:45Thanks, Corrine. The White House has obviously fielded a lot of questions in recent days
11:50about the President's health, whether the White House has been or coming or not about
11:54that issue. And I just wondered, have the last 12 days made you reconsider any specific
12:00statements that you might have made in recent months on that issue?
12:04I appreciate the question. I really do, and the opportunity. I think there has been moments
12:09here when I have said – and especially in the gaggle, I think – and actually yesterday
12:14– if I have said – misled in something that I've said or haven't had the full
12:23information, I actually own up to that. And I actually say, I will do my best to get you
12:28the information. Hence the letter. Hence the letter for Dr. O'Connor. And so I will – I
12:35have always said, I've always been committed to doing the best I can to give you the information
12:40that we have. That is a commitment from the team. It has been an unprecedented time. I
12:45think you guys could admit that. It is an unprecedented time. And so we are meeting
12:50the moment – a new moment – that has never really existed before. And so we want
12:55to make sure that we get you all the information that we have. And when we don't have it,
13:00we do try our best to provide that information. And so that is something that I'm going to
13:06continue to do. And I've always said, it is an honor and a privilege to be standing
13:11in front of you every day, exercising in the freedom of the press. This is a briefing that
13:17is watched around the world, because we lead in democracy, right? We lead in the freedom
13:22of the press and what that looks like. Honor and privilege, and I will continue to do my
13:26best to do just that.
13:27And we certainly understand, you know, you speak on behalf of the President and you defend
13:32him, his actions, his positions, his policy positions included. Could I just ask you about
13:38one example, just going back, that comes to mind? September –
13:41In the past – you're talking about the last 12 days?
13:45I'm talking about recent months.
13:47No, well, you just said recently. It's been, you know, we've been going back and forth.
13:52And so in the last, you know, 12 days or so, that was – I believe that's how you asked
13:56me the question.
13:57Yeah, I was talking generally.
13:58Okay.
13:59But if I could just ask you about one example –
14:00I mean, look, if you're going to ask me about something from months ago, it probably
14:04would be fair for me to – I probably won't be able to answer that right away, whatever
14:09it is that you're going to say to me.
14:11Come back to us.
14:12Yeah, I'm happy to do that. But it's also to say, hey, from September of whenever year,
14:18right, that is something that I probably should give a little space to kind of see exactly
14:24what you're speaking of.
14:25Okay. And that's fine if that ends up being your response.
14:27No, I just want to make sure that we kind of give some context here.
14:30Yeah.
14:31And you'll remember this. This was an event where the President called out Congressman
14:37Jackie Lulorski, looked for her in the room even though she had recently died. You told
14:44multiple reporters at the time, and this was asked in multiple different ways.
14:47She was top of mind.
14:48Right.
14:49Yeah.
14:50It was because she was top of mind for the President.
14:51Yeah.
14:52I mean, would you – on that example, would you offer a different explanation?
14:55I will not, because honestly, I spoke to the President right before coming out that day,
15:00and that is what the President told me. It's not something that came from me. That is something
15:05that came from the President.
15:06So he was saying, even as he was looking for her in the moment, it wasn't a misdeed?
15:11She was top of mind.
15:12Okay.
15:13That is coming – as you just said in your question, I speak for the President. I speak
15:18on behalf of him. That was coming from him, and I was delivering directly from the President
15:23what he was thinking at the time.
15:24Great. A very different kind of example, and this is more recent.
15:28Oh, sure. Sure.
15:29When the President was in Italy for the G7, and you'll remember he skipped one of the
15:35dinner, which was a major event for the summit. And I remember you were asked about it by
15:39reporters, and you said we shouldn't read too much into the fact that he's skipping
15:43one dinner. I mean, would the explanation actually have been that he was tired and that
15:50he needed to skip something that was happening so late in the evening?
15:53And my answer stays the same. I wouldn't read too much into it. It's not the first
15:56time that he has. He has a really busy schedule, and there's a lot going on. As you know,
16:03when the President is abroad, he has continued to do domestic stuff as well as meeting with
16:09global leaders. And so I truly would not read too much into it, and I will leave it there.
16:16Okay. I have a very final question on the annual letter from Dr. O'Connor. He said
16:22that the President continues to be fit for duty and fully executes all of his responsibilities
16:28without any exemptions or accommodations. Just because it's been a couple of months,
16:33do you know if that statement is still accurate?
16:35It's still accurate.
16:36So no exemptions, no accommodations.
16:38No exemptions, no accommodations.
16:39Thank you.
16:40Thank you.
16:43Karine, there was an announcement from the Department of Justice today about a crackdown
16:50effort to interrupt a Russian state-sponsored bot operation, AI-fueled operation, to denigrate
17:01politicians in the United States and elsewhere. Do you have any concerns right now that this
17:09is the leading edge of any part of a Russian effort to interfere in the election? Has the
17:15President been briefed on this? And have you seen any evidence that the Russians or other
17:21foreign powers have tried to seize on the debate performance to repeat some of the President's
17:28most embarrassing moments?
17:29So that's a very good question. I would have to talk to our team about those particular
17:34questions that you just asked. There were multiple questions in your statement there.
17:38I would leave it to the Department of Justice as what they announced. Obviously, that's
17:43for them to speak to. Look, AI has always been a concern. That's why the President made
17:48some announcements recently to take executive action on how we can deal with AI. We want
17:54to see more action, more fulsome action legislatively from Congress. That is something – it is
18:01a cutting-edge technology that we need to get our hands on and get a better understanding
18:09of what it could potentially do. And so that is something that the President certainly
18:15is looking to make sure that we deal with this in a full, whole-of-government way. On
18:22those particular questions, I would have to check in with our team here, and obviously
18:28whoever is related to the Department of Justice in that statement, I would refer you to them.
18:34You said just a minute ago that the President wants to turn the page on the last couple
18:39of weeks and get to the other side of this, where the White House wants to. Has President
18:44Biden seen enough support over the last 36 hours from fellow Democrats in Congress to
18:51now start turning the page and look ahead? I mean, what's his reaction been to what he's
18:57seen since Congress has gotten back?
18:59I mean, it's very similar to how I answered the question to one of your colleagues. He's
19:03very much focused on what's ahead, right? He's very much focused – he has a fulsome,
19:09robust schedule the next two weeks that we laid out for all of you. He wants to focus
19:13on that, the messages that he wants to come out when he goes to Texas next week, when
19:17he goes to Vegas next week. He's going to be on the road on Friday as well.
19:23I also want to say, look, he is proud of the Congressional Black Caucus, who said they
19:29have – he has their support. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus did the same, and other members
19:35of Congress, obviously. And so, look, he wants to move forward. As your colleague said, definitely
19:43unite the party, continuing to unite the party. We heard from Representative Meeks who said
19:49that Democrats – the Congressional Democrats came out of the meeting today united. I think
19:53that's important to note. But the President's going to move forward. He's going to move
19:57forward and he's going to continue to go out there, engage with the American public
20:03like you saw him do in Pennsylvania, and he's going to stay focused on that.
20:07Well, do you – does he feel like he's weathered this storm, so to speak?
20:11I think that he is more determined than ever to continue to get the job done, to continue
20:19to build an economy that works for all, to continue to make sure that we have a middle
20:25class, right, that is strong, right, that we don't have a trickle-down economy, that
20:31we have an economy that's built from the bottom up, middle out. That's what he wants
20:35to continue to do. I think this week with the NATO summit, the 75th year of NATO, let's
20:40not forget NATO has helped to protect Americans and also protect the world and what it's
20:46been able to do for the past 75 years. You're going to see the President engaging with 32
20:52leaders of this alliance. I think that's really important. That's, again, on behalf
20:57of the American people, so he wants to do that. He has a lot on his mind as it deals
21:03with making sure we deliver for the American people. That's what he's going to focus
21:07on.
21:08Okay, Peter, I know we had our chitchat yesterday.
21:11Yes, thank you, Karine.
21:12It's okay.
21:13Does President Biden commit to serving a full second term if reelected?
21:18Yes.
21:19Thank you. We know the President says that his health is fine, but it's just his brain,
21:26and that he's sharpest before –
21:27He was joking, by the way. I just want to make sure that that's out there.
21:31And people –
21:32What's the joke?
21:33He was making a lighthearted joke as he was speaking off –
21:36That he has a lot on his brain.
21:37He was speaking off the cuff and was making a joke. You know the President. He likes to
21:40joke a lot.
21:41Okay.
21:42He's the same guy who says, I know I look 40, right? So he likes to make jokes.
21:46I do.
21:47It is a joke.
21:48Okay.
21:49I think people laugh when he says it.
21:50Well, he also said he's sharpest before 8 p.m.
21:54So, say that the Pentagon at some point picks up an incoming nuke. It's 11 p.m. Who do
22:00you call? The First Lady?
22:02He has a team that lets him know of any – of any news that is pertinent and important to
22:08the American people. He has someone or – that is decided, obviously, with his National Security
22:14Council on who gets to tell him that news.
22:17So, Kevin McCarthy just said that when he was the Speaker, many times when we had meetings
22:22in the Oval Office, Jill was there as well. When the First Lady is in these meetings,
22:27is she making decisions or is she just advising the President?
22:31The President is the President of the United States. He makes decisions.
22:34Okay. Another family member. President Biden has told me before he and his son don't
22:39have any business dealings together. So what is Hunter Biden doing in White House meetings?
22:45Are you talking about the meeting where they came together from Camp David and the two
22:51of them walked to the President's meeting and he was there?
22:55There's a report that aides were struck by his presence during their discussions.
23:00Look, I can't – I'm certainly not going to get into private conversations that occur.
23:06What I can say is – and I talked to this – I spoke to this before – is that when
23:11they came back from Camp David, the President spent a couple days at Camp David with his
23:16family. He is very close to his family, as you know. It was the week of Fourth of July,
23:21which is why his family members were here last week. They walked together and they walked
23:26together into the meeting.
23:28Can you say if Hunter Biden has access to classified information?
23:31No.
23:32And are you guys just not, since February, testing President Biden for Parkinson's
23:39or for dementia? Because if he gets a bad result, it's all over that day.
23:46Again, as I've said many times before, the President has had a fulsome, comprehensive
23:53– what we said, what we shared with you was comprehensive, but he's had a full physical.
24:01We've shown the results of those physicals this past three years. We showed it just four
24:06months ago. And it is in line with what we have done similar to President Obama, similar
24:13to George W. Bush. We are committed to continue to be transparent. We are committed to continue
24:21to show the results of those physicals. And look, it's the President's medical team
24:29that makes the decision. We are not – with all due respect, you're not a doctor, I'm
24:33not a doctor. It is the President's medical unit that makes a decision on what the President
24:37needs.
24:38Not a doctor. Just play one on TV.
24:40That's scary.
24:41That is scary. But I know that, especially as adults get into their 80s, health conditions
24:50pop up more than just once a year when he's getting his physical. I think if my wife saw
24:54me on TV misspeaking or saying the wrong thing or seeing a change in my appearance, she would
25:02probably say, let's go to a doctor just to make sure that you are okay, you have a
25:07family, you have an important job. Why doesn't anybody in the President's family urge him
25:12just to go to get checked out to say the coast is clear?
25:15Okay, so just to step back just a little bit, because I think you weren't in the briefing
25:19room last week. I don't want to go backwards, but just to share a little bit about that
25:23night. The President said it was a bad night. He talked about it. He had a cold, right?
25:29He talked about his schedule, right, being abroad. And so we spoke about what that night
25:36was like for him. And we understand what the American people saw, what you all saw. We
25:41spoke into that.
25:43And I also would say – and I think you know this, Peter. You've covered a couple of
25:48administrations at this point – that the President, every President, has a White House
25:53medical unit that is with him 24-7, that is available to him 24-7. That is unlike any
26:00other American, right? That is not the norm. That is uncommon.
26:04Just down on the other side of the colonnade is where the medical unit is. And I did share
26:11that the President checks in while he's exercising with his doctor a couple times a week.
26:18And so he has that. He has something that most – majority of Americans – all Americans,
26:24I would probably argue – don't have, which is a full medical unit that is with him at
26:29all times. And he gets a full, full, full physical, annual physical that we share with
26:36all of you. And that is very different – very different than an everyday American who – sometimes
26:43they're lucky if they can go get a physical. They have to get into a car. They have to
26:47take public transportation. The President has, again, a medical unit that's with him
26:50here at the White House and travels with him.
26:52So I guess the question is just – this is not – you're saying this is not a situation
26:56where you would rather just not know if there is an issue with the President?
27:01What I will tell you is –
27:02Because if he does get a bad result, it is all over. He has to leave office right away.
27:06First of all –
27:07He can't run for re-election.
27:08First of all, it's a hypothetical, right? You're giving me a hypothetical. But I will
27:12also say, just to clear this up, the White House Medical Unit, his doctor, they don't
27:20believe that he needs anything more than what we have been able to provide – a full, full,
27:27detailed, very comprehensive physical that he had four months ago. It is their decision
27:35to make. It's not yours. It's not mine. It's the White House Medical Unit.
27:39Go ahead.
27:40Hi, Corrine. You mentioned that the Democratic Party was united, perhaps the leadership,
27:44but a lot of rank-and-file Democrats have a lot of concerns. One of them, Steve Cohen,
27:48said today, not only are they not on the same page, but they're not even in the same book.
27:54How does the White House – is the White House concerned about that?
27:57Well, look, we – I've said before, right, we respect congressional members. They have
28:02their opinions. We respect their opinions, many of them, that we've got – we had
28:07opportunities to deliver really good results on behalf of the American people, but there
28:11is – the whole Congressional Black Caucus, they support the president. The Congressional
28:16Hispanic Caucus support the president. Those are pretty impressive numbers. Senator Coon,
28:23Senator Fetterman support the president. There's also another list here that shows support
28:28for this president. You're going to have some congressional members who feel differently.
28:33It is – that is up to them, right? The president wants to continue. He's going to have those
28:38conversations. He's going to engage with congressional members. He's going to continue
28:42to do that as he has. That's not going to stop. Obviously, the campaign is doing their
28:48work. We're doing – continuing our engagement with congressional members as we do pretty
28:52much all the time on whatever issue we want to work with them on. So that's not going
28:58to change. You heard from AOC, the congresswoman from New York. She said the matter is closed
29:04and I support him, right? You heard from Maxwell Frost, who was on CNN today, gave – was
29:11very supportive on CNN. So you do have others out there just today, just today or yesterday,
29:17giving support to the president. I can't – you're mentioning one person, but there
29:22are others as well.
29:24Yeah.
29:25On a separate topic, he said at Richmond this morning, he said that the debate stage was
29:31words, the debate stage was performance. I would say look at actions and accomplishments.
29:35The president's allies have made some version of that argument to not pay attention to what
29:39he said on stage, but what his accomplishments are. But when you're the president of the
29:44United States, don't words matter?
29:47So when you're the president of the United States, I think any leader, right, especially
29:55including a former president, your words do matter. You're 100 percent correct. The
30:01president has owned up to that night. He said it was a bad night. He said this. He said
30:06this many times. He's even said he screwed up. So those are the president's words.
30:10That's all I can give you at this time. We do believe that we should not just look
30:16at the 90 minutes. The president has done more than any other modern-day president's
30:24administration. Historic, historic things have gotten done. When I was watching the
30:29Democratic caucus, they talked about $35 insulin, right, capping that. When you think about
30:35seniors who are paying hundreds and hundreds of dollars, we were able to get that done
30:40because of a very important piece of legislation that we moved through, right? And only Democrats
30:48made that happen. That's also because of the leadership of this president. And that's
30:52just one. That's a bipartisan infrastructure legislation. There's the Chips in Science
30:56Act. There's the PACT Act for our veterans. I mean, there are things that he's been
31:01able to do that elected officials, presidents before him have been trying to do and could
31:06not get done, beating big pharma. So there is a long list of impressive things that this
31:14president has been able to get done, getting us out of the pandemic, that we do believe
31:18is important to note here as well as an accomplishment of this presidency.
31:23Another question that I don't think has been asked, correct me if it has. The White
31:28House and also the campaign has said that he had a cold that night. He then went to
31:32a watch party afterwards, which you had brought up. I was at that watch party. If he did have
31:36a cold, why then push him to another event where he spent some 45 minutes along the rope
31:41line?
31:42I mean, and not just a – and I would add to that, it wasn't just a watch party. We
31:46landed at 2 a.m. in the morning in North Carolina. He greeted hundreds of North Carolinians in
31:51North Carolina. He woke up the next day in North Carolina, gave a speech in front of
31:57thousands of North Carolinians.
31:58Was it a case?
31:59No, no, no. I'm just trying to – you gave me an opportunity, and I'm just using that
32:04opportunity, obviously, to lay out what the president did in those two and a half days.
32:09Look, you know, one of the reasons that we share that he had a cold is because during
32:13the debate in real time, everybody heard his hoarse voice and folks asked, and we were
32:18able to confirm right away that he had a cold and that he was also tested negative for COVID.
32:27So we were able to share that in real time, so I just also want to share that.
32:31Look, he pushed forward, right? Many of us have colds, and we still push forward. He's
32:36the president of the United States. He understands how important it is to continue to get up
32:40every morning, regardless of how you feel, right, to get things done. That's how this
32:45president is. I'm sure that's how many presidents before him were as well when it
32:49comes to really not letting a cold get you down, and I think that's also why he pushed
32:57forward in the debate also on that night. So, look, he pushed forward, tried to get
33:04things done, wanted to make sure that he had an opportunity. People who watched him do
33:08a debate, who were waiting for him, people at 2 o'clock in the morning in North Carolina
33:12who were waiting for him, he wanted to make sure that he engaged with Americans.
33:17And finally, Doreen, this morning House Speaker Mike Johnson said, as he has before, that
33:21Democrats have been covering up the president's mental acuity for years. How do you respond
33:26to that, and has the White House misled Americans?
33:28So I'll say this. Americans out there, folks who are watching, who are not normally in
33:33the day-to-day of what's happening in this world, there is a comprehensive medical – full
33:39comprehensive medical report on the website, WhiteHouse.gov. I would encourage them to
33:45take a look, to take a look. Read that report, and they can also read for themselves what
33:53his – his specialist, a group of specialists of – coming out of the medical unit decided
34:01on, what they examined, what they saw, what they reported on. I think that matters as
34:06well. It is a group of them that come together when it comes to doing their physical. It
34:12is extensive physical. And so there is something there for them. It's transparent. It's
34:16out there. It's for them to read. It's for the American – not just for you, for
34:19the American people to take a look. And I think that's important to note as well,
34:23and that's what I would share with them.
34:25And I'll come to you, Ed, in a second.
34:27Thanks, Karine. The President said yesterday in his letter, in his interview, that he talked
34:31to a wide range of voters. He overwhelmingly heard from people that they wanted him to
34:35stay in the race. Our polling shows that 76 percent of Democrats think he is too old to
34:40run this year. How is he coming to this conclusion? Are you sure that a handful of events is giving
34:46him a representative view of swing state voters?
34:48So, look, I mean, look, that has been – you all have asked me about polling and his age
34:52for I feel like a year now. It's come up many, many times. And, you know, I'm not
34:58going to speak to polls. It's not something I'm going to do from here. I'm just going
35:02to let the experts, the pundits, and all of you –
35:04But he's saying he's conducting his own poll effectively.
35:06No, no, wait. I was about to answer your question. Just give me a second. Look, for
35:10the past three and a half years, the President has been out there talking to voters. And
35:15if you think about what he was referring to, when we went to – when he went to Atlanta
35:21right after the watch party, he saw – he literally did a rope line. Some of your colleagues
35:27were there. Some of your colleagues spoke to some of the folks who were there and heard
35:32from them directly. He heard from folks at the rope line. I mean, these are everyday
35:36– engaging with everyday people. That's what he did. Landed at 2 a.m. in the morning
35:43in North Carolina, hundreds of people there. He did a rope line, engaged with everyday
35:48people. The next day, thousands of folks, thousands of people were at the North Carolina
35:54event, and you heard chants, let's go, Joe. We love you, Joe. I mean, that's something
36:00that you feel, right? That's something that you feel out there. And that's what he feels
36:05out there. The next day, he went to New York, and he was able to speak to some supporters
36:12there, and then went to New Jersey. So it is a continuation. On Sunday, 600 people at
36:18the church. The whole – if you watch that service, you heard from that congregation.
36:26If you watched him in Harrisburg, you saw people – you saw him engaging with people.
36:30I mean, that – there's nothing that takes away – all respect to the polling out there,
36:35but nothing takes away, I don't think, from engaging with everyday Americans. I think
36:40that matters, too. And that's just – I'm just laying out the last 10 or 12 days, right?
36:45That's just the last 10 or 12 days.
36:47One more. Over the weekend, the New York Times reported on a senior White House official
36:51who apparently had worked with the President in his vice presidency in the 2020 campaign,
36:56said he shouldn't seek re-election. They thought he was not up to it and was showing
37:00signs of his age. Does the White House know who this person is or made any effort to find
37:04out? And are you comfortable having someone who apparently is traveling with him and working
37:08with him this way who thinks this?
37:09I mean, look, that is – that is the first time I've ever heard that was in that reporting.
37:16We – this is not – this is not the last administration where we try to find who is
37:22speaking or leaking. That's not something that we do here. Everybody has their opinion,
37:26but that is the first time I've ever heard anything like that. I've never heard anyone
37:30speak in that way from here.
37:32Get in.
37:33To follow up on something you were saying to Gabe about congressional outreach, has
37:36the President spoken to, does he plan to speak with any of those that have publicly
37:41called for him to go?
37:43Look, I don't have a list of people that the President's going to call. He's going
37:47to engage with congressional members. That's something that he's going to do. I can say
37:51– I'm sure folks here in his Office of Leg Affairs has had regular communication
37:56with everyone. I just don't have a list of who he's going to speak to. But the President
38:02is always willing to speak to people who agree with him and don't agree with him.
38:06You know that about him. If you've covered him, he's very much that type of President.
38:12I just don't want to get ahead of his decision on who he's going to call and how that's
38:16going to look.
38:17One thing, I don't think we've gotten public clarification about yet. In the interview
38:22Friday night, he was asked, did you watch the debate? And he said, I don't think I
38:26did, no. Did he watch the full debate, or what of it has he watched?
38:31You know, that's a good question. I never followed up with him, and I meant to. I have
38:36not asked him that question. I was there in the room when he was being asked that question.
38:40I just never followed up. You know, that is something that we could follow up with him
38:45on. I have not. I'm sure he's seen clips. I'm sure he's seen clips. I just haven't
38:50asked him that full question.
38:52One other thing that's come up –
38:55Yeah, it's getting round-the-clock coverage, right? From all of you.
39:00One other thing that's come up in the last little bit, the Director of National Intelligence,
39:04Avril Haines, I don't know if you've seen this, issued a statement a little while ago
39:08saying, in part, in recent weeks, Iranian government actors have sought to opportunistically
39:13take advantage of ongoing protests regarding the war in Gaza, a playbook we've seen
39:18other actors use over the years. We've observed actors tied to Iran's government posing
39:22as activists online, seeking to encourage protests and even providing financial support
39:26to protesters. She goes on later to urge Americans to remain vigilant as they engage
39:30online with accounts and actors they don't personally know. But that's a pretty big
39:34charge to make, that Iran may be trying to influence these protests in the streets of
39:38the United States.
39:39So, yes, I know what you're speaking of, what the DNI warned about. Obviously, for
39:44any specifics, I would have to refer you back to Director Haines and her statement. But
39:49broadly speaking here, just bear with me for a second, Iran is seeking to opportunistically
39:55take advantage of protests. So I want to echo the DNI's remarks today. Americans
40:01across the political spectrum acting in good faith have sought to express their own independent
40:07views on the conflict in Gaza. The freedom to express diverse views when done peacefully
40:12is essential to our democracy. At the same time, the U.S. Government has a duty to warn
40:17Americans about foreign malign influences, activities. This is important to help Americans
40:24guard against efforts by foreign powers to take advantage of or co-opt their legitimate
40:30protest activities. We will continue to provide these warnings as they arise. And today, I
40:34just want to convey a firm message from here to Iran and any other foreign actor that seeks
40:41to conduct these types of influence activities, meddling in our politics and seeking to stroke
40:46division is unacceptable. And we will continue to expose attempts to undermine our democracy
40:52and our society just as we are today. That is something that we will continue to do.
40:57The U.S. Government will continue to vigorously support and defend Americans in their exercise
41:02of their First Amendment rights to protest and express political views peacefully. At
41:07the same time, we will continue to warn against exposed foreign efforts to meddle in our internal
41:14affairs and attempt to amplify conflict. The former is an essential part of the robust,
41:20functioning democracy. The latter is a threat. And it will not, it will not, will not be
41:25tolerated.
41:26And the President's been read into all this?
41:28He's been briefed.
41:29No problem with it being shared publicly?
41:30He's been briefed. He's been read in. He is aware. And we believe, as I just stated
41:35here, it is our duty. It is our duty here as a U.S. Government to share that.
41:41Go ahead.
41:43I have a question about the NATO summit.
41:46Sure.
41:47There has been a lot of discussion about Ukraine, but also the southern front of NATO. Countries
41:53like Italy and Spain, they want the summit to approve a new strategy to improve relations
41:59with countries in North Africa, the Middle East, and work together in challenges like
42:03migration or instability. So does the U.S. support this? And is the President trying
42:09to, or planning to meet with any leaders of the southern front?
42:13So look, I think we announced some of the bilateral. We announced the one with the U.K.
42:18Prime Minister. I just announced with President Zelensky. We will do our best. You know, the
42:24President is hosting the 75th NATO summit, so he's going to be pretty busy engaging with
42:31global leaders and obviously hosting the event. So if we have anything more to share, I know
42:35my colleagues at the National Security Council will do our best to share that with you. I'm
42:40not going to – we're going to have some deliverables, we're going to have some statements
42:46to make, declarations. I'm not going to get ahead of any of that. So I'm just going to
42:50let this summit begin and let the President actually lead these next couple of days.
42:56But does the President support this strategy?
42:59I'm saying to you I'm not going to get ahead of the summit. We're going to have many
43:05conversations, many meetings here. I just want to be super mindful. You also asked me
43:10about any other bilateral engagements. We have – we've already announced two, and
43:16so just don't want to get ahead of anything else. You know, things happen when the President
43:20is there. He gets pulled to the side. We do pull asides. We try to share them in real
43:25time as quickly as possible. I just don't have anything to share outside of that.
43:29On sticking with NATO, are there any details you can share on President Biden's meeting
43:34with President Zelensky, just any details on potentially what they might discuss?
43:39If Biden had said he would announce new air defense for Ukraine, will that come up at all?
43:45We will definitely – there will be more air defense that we will be announcing. Don't
43:50want to get ahead of the President. Look, you saw – as I announced at the top, you
43:54saw the President do a bilat with President Zelensky in France and also at the G7. It
44:00was always, obviously, part of those conversations is to continue to show our unwavering support
44:06for Ukraine. The President has led in this effort globally. If you think about NATO and
44:11how – the strength of NATO and how it has grown plus two and how we have been able to
44:18have a stronger alliance than we've ever had before, that's because of this President.
44:22And backing, obviously, behind Ukraine, that's because of this President. So our support
44:27continues to be unwavering, and we will have more to read out from that bilat.
44:32And as it's the 75th anniversary here in D.C., obviously, but what does the success
44:39look like for Biden given everything that is going on and kind of the debate aftermath?
44:44Kind of what is he measuring?
44:48So I'll say this, and I've said this many times before as it relates to foreign leaders,
44:53and look, I'll say that the foreign leaders have had an opportunity to see what the President
44:58has been able to do in the last three and a half years. They've seen that certainly
45:02up close and personal the last three years, and they know that they are dealing with a
45:07President who has been effective and has just – has been able to get things done. I just
45:11talked about NATO and the President's leadership and how we've been able to strengthen NATO,
45:16make sure that we invigorated the NATO alliance, and that has – that we've been able to
45:21see in the last three and a half years.
45:23So the President wants to continue to strengthen those – that partnership and strengthen
45:28those alliances. Obviously, it's not going to just be NATO allies here. We're going
45:33to see others. For example, Japan will be here on Thursdays and other heads of states.
45:40I believe there's going to be 38 heads of states that will be here. And so we want to
45:43continue to strengthen those relationships, and that's what the President wants to see.
45:47This is an important year, the 75th anniversary, and I think all of the work that the President
45:52has been able to do will be on full display.
45:54Just one last question. If the President's health were to decline rapidly next week,
46:00just kind of out of the blue, have you had any conversations with him, or has he made
46:05any comments on if he would step aside?
46:07No, absolutely not. That's a hypothetical. No.
46:10Go ahead.
46:11Thank you, Karine. Stay on the NATO summit. While the summit, of course, is being held
46:17in Washington, China is criticizing NATO as the relic of Cold War. It's causing high
46:23security risk to the world and the region. What is the U.S. response to this?
46:28So, look, Russia's aggression against Ukraine poses a threat to transatlantic security.
46:34That's what it does. And it shows how critical the NATO alliance is and how important it
46:39is to continue to make sure that it is strong. And that's what the President has been able
46:43to do. I am not surprised. We are not surprised that China doesn't understand that through
46:49– that though considering how they are actively enabling – they are themselves enabling
46:55Russia's war in Ukraine, so it doesn't surprise me or surprise us that that statement
46:59was made. But, look, NATO is an important alliance. It's been around for 75 years
47:06protecting here U.S. Americans, American citizens, but also the world. And so we are going to
47:13continue to strengthen that alliance.
47:15Second question. Indian Prime Minister Modi is visiting Russia. We all seen the footage
47:20that he's hugging, being friendly with Putin, also seeking deepen bilateral relationship.
47:26We see that – saw that Ukrainian President Zelensky already expresses disappointment.
47:32Is the United States concerning that India as a U.S. ally might be actually adding Russia
47:39either intentionally or intentionally?
47:41I believe my NSC colleagues have spoken to this. I'll just add that and just reiterate
47:46that India is a strategic partner with whom we engage in full and frank dialogue, including
47:52their relationship with Russia. And we've talked about this before. So we think it's
47:56critical that all countries, including India, support efforts to realize an enduring and
48:02just peace when it comes to Ukraine. It is important for all our allies to realize this.
48:07And so we also believe India's longstanding relationship with Russia gives it the ability
48:12to urge the President, President Putin, to end his brutal war, an unprovoked war in Ukraine.
48:19It is for President Putin to end. They started – President Putin started the war, and President
48:24Putin can end the war.
48:27Yeah. Okay.
48:29Thank you, Karine. A couple questions on unrelated subjects. First, there's been some reporting
48:35by my colleagues in the British press that His Majesty King Charles would like to visit
48:40his grandchildren in California and could do so in conjunction with a state visit.
48:47Has there been any discussion or will there be any discussion between President Biden
48:52and Prime Minister Starmer about such a visit?
48:55So I don't have anything to share. That is something, obviously, that the State Department
49:01and NSC would certainly engage on if that were to be the case. As you know, the new
49:07prime minister will be here for the NATO alliance. I just mentioned that there will be a bilat
49:13between President Biden and the new prime minister, so the President looks forward to
49:17that. An upcoming visit that involves the king, King Charles, I don't have anything
49:22to share at this time.
49:24Okay. Next question. The President yesterday morning, Joe, said he wanted to make sure
49:30that the average voter out there still wants Joe Biden to be running for president. And
49:38you've rattled off a long list of campaign engagements that he's had over the last
49:4410 or so days since the debate. Those engagements, whenever the President travels, whether it's
49:51part of a campaign or official travel, there are advance teams, people who get near him
49:57are screened either by the Secret Service or the campaign or both. So how are these
50:06groups of people he's meeting with, supporters of his, they are supporters, they get to these
50:12official events, these official campaign events, they are known to be supporters of
50:18the campaign, they self-select by coming to his events. How are groups of people that
50:25come to his events, make the time out of their day to do that, and are vetted by the campaign
50:31and allowed into these events representative of the average voter? And then I have one
50:36more.
50:37So look, I'm going to be really careful because you're asking me a political question. You
50:40have to talk to the campaign on how the process works, right? No, wait. Give me a second.
50:48Give me a second. On how that process works and who's at these campaign events. So I just
50:57want to make that clear because I have to say that from here and make that clear. I
51:03would remind you that 14 million people, this is something that I can talk about, voted
51:08in the primary, that's 87% of the vote. That matters. Those numbers matter. And so that
51:17is kind of a reality, a data point that matters as well. And so I'll just leave it there.
51:25But I think it does matter. I hear the question that you're asking. He's still engaging with
51:30everyday people. He's still hearing directly from them. They're still sharing information,
51:36sharing how they feel, sharing how they see the future of his presidency. And I think
51:42that matters as well. As far as who's in the room, how that comes together, who's in front
51:48of him, you would have to speak to the campaign about that.
51:51One last thing. You've described his engagements with Dr. O'Connor on a regular basis as check-ins.
51:58That's what you've described him having after the debate, a check-in versus an exam. Can
52:05you elaborate on what the difference is between a check-in and an exam? At these check-ins,
52:12does Dr. O'Connor or another staff member take the President's vitals or anything like
52:17that?
52:18So I've talked about this on Friday. They're verbal check-ins with the President. They
52:23check in. As the President's exercising, that's usually how this happens. And they're not
52:29a medical exam. I said this already. I've cleared that up. They're not – it's not
52:34a physical. It is a verbal check-in that the President does multiple times with his doctor.
52:41It's normally as he's working out.
52:44Does anyone from the medical unit take the President's vitals on a regular basis?
52:49What I can tell you, he gets regular check-ins. He does regular check-ins a couple times a
52:56week with Dr. O'Connor, and that is for his doctor to decide on. That is not something
53:02that I can speak to from here.
53:04Go ahead, Karen.
53:05Thank you. The President's come out very aggressively in the past 24 hours, from that
53:09letter to Democrats, the call-in to MSNBC, the phone call with donors, the CDC last night.
53:14Was that his decision personally to step up that outreach?
53:17It has been. He is – he's ready. He's on fire. He's ready to go. And he wants
53:24to get out there and continue to show that he has more work to do, right? He has more
53:33important issues for the American people to get done. And so he wants to get out there.
53:39He always has, though. I mean, the last two, two-and-a-half years, three years, three-and-a-half
53:45years, he looks forward to getting out there, speaking directly to the American people.
53:51And he – I know we say this, and I know sometimes you guys don't believe us, but
53:55he does want to engage with you all. He does want to talk more to the press. And so now
53:59we're certainly going to continue to create opportunities to do that. He's done interviews
54:0447 times in this year alone, and we're going to continue to create opportunities to do
54:08this. We're going to get out there so he can engage with the American people more directly.
54:13So we're going to continue to do that.
54:15But in terms of – especially in the last 24 hours, that type of outreach to ease concerns
54:20among Democrats about his campaign continuing, was there something specific that he heard
54:25or read that prompted this – it would seem more like a flurry over the last 24 hours
54:29that didn't happen last week? We really saw him doing more since yesterday.
54:33No, I get it. No, I get the question. Look, I wouldn't say there's anything specific.
54:37This is something that he wanted to do. And if you think about it, he was – he's been
54:42on the road a lot since the debate. He was on the road on Friday. He was on the road
54:49on Sunday. And then right out of the debate, right, he did about two – he did two and
54:54a half days of going into about four states. So he's just been on the road, busy, engaging
54:59with Americans. But – and he did the ABC interview, as you know, obviously. And so
55:05he wants to do more. He wants to do more. There's nothing specific, but he understands
55:10– he understands what you all saw, right? He understands he had a bad debate. He understands
55:15that – what Americans saw. So he wants to go out there and continue to prove to all
55:20of you that he continued to do the work and the job.
55:24And does he feel that outreach is working to ease those concerns after the bad debate?
55:28I mean, look, I think he's – this is kind of the questions that I got from other colleagues.
55:33He's hearing directly from the American people, and I think that matters. I think
55:40him being out there and them – and Americans seeing him directly, being able to touch him
55:46and ask him questions and see him face to face, I think that matters. And so, look,
55:52we're going to continue to move forward and do what we have to do.
55:56All right, I think I can take one more. Go ahead, Maria.
55:59Thank you so much. So we've seen the President, like, being on the ground more, but we've
56:04also heard a slightly new tone from him. He said he was frustrated with the elites
56:08of his party. He dismissed polls. He criticized media coverage, saying that journalists get
56:14election results wrong. So is this the kind of tone we should expect to hear from him
56:20going forward? And does he believe this is the kind of tone that the average voters,
56:25as he says, expect from him?
56:27Look, I would say this. I think what we've seen the last 10 to 12 days is certainly fundamental
56:33to the Joe Biden story. He is someone that is certainly counted out many, many times
56:39in his career. People tend to knock him down, and you hear him say he gets back up. This
56:46is the story. This is the story of him standing up for himself, standing up for millions of
56:51Americans, and certainly millions of Americans who back his leadership and, like him, care.
56:58They care about working people. They care about getting things done. And, you know,
57:03it really truly is who he is at his core, to fight, to fight not just for himself but
57:09what he believes in. And he has seen this over and over again. People count him out.
57:15People say he's not going to win. People say, you know, all of the negative things that
57:22they want to put at his feet, and he proves them wrong over and over again. You think
57:27about 2020. Folks said the same thing. He's not going to win. He's not going to make it.
57:34And he won. In 2022, we had a midterm election, and going into that midterm election, it was
57:40supposed to be a red wave. There wasn't a red wave. Happened in 2023. Now we're in 2024,
57:45and he's going to continue to fight. That is his commitment. That is quintessential
57:50Joe Biden story. That is fundamentally who he is, is to continuing to fight. All right.
57:55Thanks, everybody.