Prickly president pivots away from White House press when asked about China

AP Photo/Susan Walsh

Joe Biden walked over to the White House press corps on his way to board Marine One on Friday. Another Friday, another trip to Delaware for the weekend. Instead of answering a couple of questions as he sometimes does before walking across the lawn to the waiting helicopter, he heard a question being yelled at him and he turned and fled. The leader of the free world was scared off by a question from a reporter.

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That’s not something we’ve seen in past presidents. Even if the questions were irritating or hostile, most presidents who took the time to walk over to the press would go ahead and answer the question. Trump was famous for speaking to the White House press corps at every opportunity. He would stand and answer questions until he absolutely had to board Marine One to keep his schedule. It didn’t matter if the conversation turned combative or not. Biden, however, avoids the press at all costs, even if it makes him look weak.

Biden promised to have the most transparent administration – evah – and that has not been the case at all. He has held the fewest number of press conferences of any modern president. He relies on a written list of acceptable reporters to call on provided by his staff. He rarely sits down with networks for interviews and never with Fox News Channel. He expects to be treated with kid gloves and the press is usually happy to oblige.

A hot topic this week has been the admission by FBI Director Christopher Wray that a lab leak in Wuhan, China likely caused the COVID-19 pandemic. The Department of Energy also proved that opinion recently. The statement that the pandemic was caused by a lab leak in China would usually result in someone being accused of being a conspiracy theorist or a xenophobic racist attacking Chinese people. Some people have suggested it is very possible from the early days of the pandemic. Senator Tom Cotton is one and he was called all sorts of names, the least of which was that he was a tin foil hat-wearing kook. I remember writing about his thoughts on the subject back then and all kinds of people were appalled with him. How do you like him now?

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So, a reporter asked Biden if he would hold China accountable. Poor old Joe didn’t handle that very well. He put up his hands and turned on his heel. Away he walked. Not a peep from him.

Not a good look, Mr. President.

Unlike our cowardly and possibly compromised president, the Senate stood up and unanimously passed a bill to declassify all information related to the origins of COVID-19. When was the last time the Senate unanimously passed anything? The House formed the House Select Committee on China and chairman Mike Gallagher (R-WI) is ready to go.

“It’s been three years since COVID-19 upended our lives, and we’re still asking basic questions about the origins of this virus. That’s unacceptable,” Rep Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., chairman of the newly-formed House Select Committee on China told Fox News Digital.

“The question of how this pandemic began is the most important question in the world, and we should not continue to waste precious time waiting for the Chinese Communist Party to suddenly cooperate with U.S. officials and open up access to the Wuhan Institute of Virology,” Gallagher added. “It’s time for Congress to act and force the administration to declassify the relevant intelligence surrounding the pandemic.”

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Biden can run but he can’t hide. He can spend his weekend in one of his mansions in Delaware, as is his normal routine, but that doesn’t change what happened with the pandemic. He needs to stand up and answer some questions about what happened and how he will hold China accountable for nefarious acts. It is not at all unusual for Americans to think the worst of China, given its desire to overtake the United States in economic strength and military power. China wants to be the top dog among the countries of the world. Yet most Americans do not believe that Biden is strong with China. The emails found on Hunter’s laptop indicate Hunter was wheeling and dealing there and the Big Guy (Joe Biden) was getting 10% of the action. Biden, Inc. has made millions from trading on the Biden name. It’s long past time for the press to ask some questions of the Big Guy. We have a right to know if he is compromised.

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Ed Morrissey 12:40 PM | November 21, 2024
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David Strom 11:20 AM | November 21, 2024
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