In an unexpected move, President Biden entered the White House briefing room on Friday, eliciting audible gasps from reporters as he took the podium to address pressing issues. This marked the first time since he took office in 2021 that Biden has participated in a White House press briefing.
During his brief remarks, the 81-year-old president discussed the recent averted port workers strike, highlighted positive job numbers, and indicated that he may seek additional funding from Congress for Hurricane Helene relief efforts. “We’re going to have to deal with unforeseen costs of what this hurricane is going to cause. It’s going to cost a lot of money and I’m probably going to have to ask the Congress before we leave for more money to deal with some of those problems,” Biden stated.
The Biden-Harris administration has faced significant criticism from former President Trump regarding its response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene. The storm has resulted in a rising death toll, surpassing 215 in the southeastern states, with over 100 fatalities reported in western North Carolina alone.
In response to these criticisms, the White House has firmly defended its actions, asserting that Biden has been actively coordinating the federal response. This includes approving emergency declarations and deploying 1,000 active-duty soldiers to assist with search-and-rescue operations. More than 4,800 personnel from FEMA and other agencies have been dispatched to North Carolina and surrounding states affected by the hurricane. Additionally, FEMA has provided over 8.5 million meals, more than 7 million liters of water, 150 generators, and over 220,000 tarps to support recovery efforts.
As of Friday, the federal government has allocated more than $45 million in Individual Assistance to survivors impacted by the storm, as reported by White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. This assistance includes one-time $750 payments from FEMA to eligible applicants in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.
Biden’s surprise appearance comes on the heels of an Axios report that highlighted his limited public visibility in recent months. The report noted that Biden had not scheduled a public event in 43 of the 75 days since he withdrew from the 2024 presidential race. He has participated in only one campaign event alongside Vice President Kamala Harris, who has taken over as the Democratic nominee.
Critics, particularly among Republicans, have raised concerns about Biden’s ability to manage the demands of the presidency at his advanced age, pointing out that most of his public engagements are scheduled during typical working hours. Furthermore, he has only granted two interviews since July 21.
In defense of the president’s public schedule, White House spokesman Andrew Bates dismissed the criticism, stating, “Being commander-in-chief is about far more than public events, which are scheduled at strategic times to reach the most Americans possible, like before 20 million Americans watch the national evening news.” He further emphasized, “He works around the clock, long before and after these times, as the historic results he continues to achieve weekly for the American people demonstrate.”
