The media already does Biden’s bidding for him but it still isn’t enough.
During a joint press conference with Kenyan President William Ruto, President Biden had a total meltdown on the White House press corps for not adhering to an agreement when a reporter attempted to ask a second question. The event, which lasted 32 minutes, saw Biden, 81, display moments of confusion and irritation, including mistakenly referring to Vice President Kamala Harris as “President Kamala Harris” for at least the eighth time.
The interaction began when Michael Wilner, the chief Washington correspondent for the McClatchy newspaper chain, addressed Biden. Wilner was one of two U.S. journalists selected to ask questions, along with two Kenyan reporters. Wilner started by requesting to ask two questions, to which Biden responded, “No, one!”—prompting laughter from the audience, who initially thought he was joking.
Wilner’s first question concerned U.S.-supported peacekeeping efforts in Haiti, which Kenya is contributing troops to. This topic was expected. However, when Wilner attempted to proceed with his second question regarding a recent arrest warrant application against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by International Criminal Court (ICC) chief prosecutor Karim Khan, Biden interrupted him, insisting on only one question and then reading a prepared answer about Haiti.
The White House press office typically has some foreknowledge of what journalists might ask at such events. This is gleaned from their recent questioning history or direct inquiries from press officers about their current interests. Wilner, who often covers Haiti-related news due to its relevance to Miami Herald readers, went ahead with his second question despite Biden’s restriction. He inquired about the United States’ evidence related to the ICC prosecutor’s allegations against Israeli leaders regarding the use of starvation as a war tactic in Gaza and whether Biden would commit to releasing any such information before potential ICC arrest warrants.
Biden responded, clearly displeased, by reiterating the U.S. position on the ICC, emphasizing the non-recognition of its jurisdiction as currently exercised, and dismissing any equivalence between the actions of Israel and Hamas.
Biden’s performance drew additional scrutiny due to his apparent confusion at several points. He referred to Vice President Harris as “our nation’s first black vice president, President Kamala Harris,” and seemed to mistakenly claim that U.S. troops were deployed in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is not publicly known. He also appeared to lose his train of thought when responding to a question from April Ryan of The Grio about efforts to combat a powerful Haitian gang.
At the end of the press conference, Biden, who is the oldest president in U.S. history, asked Ruto if the session was concluded. Biden’s latest missteps come amid widespread concerns about his age, with a significant majority of voters expressing doubts about his ability to effectively serve another term. According to a March New York Times/Siena College poll, 73% of registered voters believe Biden is too old to be an effective president, while 42% expressed the same concern about former President Donald Trump, who is 77. Biden would be 86 at the end of a second term in January 2029.
WATCH:
NEW: Biden's press conference with Kenyan President Ruto turns into a clown show after Biden mumbles, calls Kamala Harris the president, and gets startled by reporters.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) May 23, 2024
The most powerful man in the world.
Biden suggested that Africa was going to go down in population after he… pic.twitter.com/HY5IdMySTw