White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday that it was President Joe Biden’s decision to appear before reporters last week and defend himself against a report that he was suffering from “diminished capabilities.”
The decision failed.
After defending his memory against claims that he couldn’t even remember when his beloved son died, he lost the news cycle by referring to the Egyptian president as the “President of Mexico.”
During her regular briefing Tuesday, Jean-Pierre was asked whose decision it was to appear.
“It was the president’s idea,” she said.
President Joe Biden delivered an angry defense of his mental capabilities in the White House diplomatic reception room last week before undermining his appearance by blasting the presidents of Egypt and Mexico
On Tuesday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed that it had been Biden’s own decision to hold an evening press conference
The appearance highlighted an ongoing debate within the White House: How often should an 81-year-old president be exposed to questions from reporters?
Aides often say Biden is his own best messenger, even though he has a long history of blunders.
And last Thursday was an example of the pros and cons of putting him in front of cameras. An angry Biden impressively pushed back against headlines about his age, into exactly the kind of verbal slip that has the White House so nervous about his appearances.
Jean-Pierre said she would not interfere in the private decision-making process
“You saw the president go out, do this, make a statement, answer questions from all of you because he wanted to do it,” she said.
‘I don’t comment on the private conversations the president has.
“The president is the president of the United States. If he says he wants to speak directly to the American people, he will do it.”
The controversy emerged last week with the release of a special counsel’s report on how classified documents ended up in Biden’s home and an office he used after leaving the vice presidency.
Robert Hur concluded that Biden should not face charges. But much of his report painted the president as a confused old man.
President Joe Biden will not be criminally charged with stashing classified documents in his garage and private office
Department of Justice photos show boxes and boxes of files stored in unsafe locations, such as the garage of his home.
‘He couldn’t remember when he was vice president, forgot on the first day of the interview when his term ended (“if it was 2013 – when did I stop being vice president?”), and forgot on the second day of the interview as his term began (“Am I still vice president in 2009?”), according to his report.
“He didn’t even remember his son Beau dying within a few years.”
The details have put Biden’s advancing years back in the spotlight at a time when he is running for a second term in the White House, a term that would take him to age 86.
Republicans are demanding that transcripts of interviews with the special counsel and his team be made public.
Jean-Pierre said the White House counsel’s office was looking into the question.
Special counsel Robert Hur spent a year investigating files found in President Joe Biden’s home and former office. He said Biden’s status as president meant he could not be prosecuted
The details of the report fade from Biden’s memory, both in conversations with his ghostwriter and with investigators. The conclusion is that jurors may have thought he made an innocent mistake
“I just don’t have anything to share with you right now. It’s not a no and it’s not a yes,” she said.
‘We are looking into this. There are processes, there are protocols.’
Last week, Ian Sams, spokesman for the counsel’s office, did not rule out making public transcripts that had been redacted to exclude classified material.
“I don’t have an announcement that anything will be released today, but it’s a reasonable question and there was some classified stuff and we have to go through all that,” he said.
He also said Hur had gone far beyond the investigative mandate and ignored Justice Department guidelines.
“The Department of Justice has its own kind of procedural manual,” he said. “And… you’re not supposed to criticize uncharged behavior when you make these decisions.”