White House staffers mute or turn off the TV when Biden is speaking with reporters out of fear that he'll make a gaffe or veer off message, report says
- Some White House staffers mute or turn off their TVs when Biden talks to reporters, Politico said.
- Staffers do so out of fear Biden will veer off course or commit a verbal gaffe, the report added.
- "I know people who habitually don't watch it live for that reason," one White House official said.
White House staffers have taken to muting the TV or turning it off altogether when President Joe Biden speaks with reporters because they are nervous their boss will commit a gaffe or veer off message, Politico reported.
"I know people who habitually don't watch it live for that reason," one White House official told Politico's West Wing Playbook newsletter.
Biden, a self-proclaimed "gaffe machine," has tripped over his words and put his foot in his mouth many times over his lengthy political career, including as Barack Obama's running mate and as the Democratic presidential nominee in 2020.
Biden's stumbles have included him describing Obama in 2007 as "articulate" and "bright and clean" and the time he got ahead of the then-president in 2012 by coming out in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage before him. And in his 2020 campaign, he frequently mixed up places within the US. He also said, "Poor kids are just as bright and just as talented as white kids," and, "We choose facts over truth."
This year, Biden misspoke in saying he had come to the Senate 120 years ago. More recently, he said that 90% of Americans who wanted to leave Afghanistan had gotten out. The White House later clarified that the figure was 98%.
But Biden's verbal stumbles, especially those related to Afghanistan, are coming under particular scrutiny as his administration faces multiple foreign and domestic crises, which have it contending with the first-year summer slump that's befallen many administrations.
Biden had perhaps his roughest month yet in August as the US military withdrew from Afghanistan, the Delta variant drove a surge in COVID-19 cases, natural disasters like hurricanes and wildfires ravaged the country, and a disappointing jobs report was released.
Some White House staffers are urging Biden to take fewer questions after speeches and public appearances, Politico reported.
After an August 29 public appearance at the Federal Emergency Management Agency headquarters, where he spoke about hurricanes, Biden said, "I'm not supposed to take any questions, but go ahead."
But at the end of the day, taking questions from the press is a crucial component of the presidency.
"As the President has shown over and over since he announced his candidacy more than two years ago, he's the most effective communicator for his vision and his agenda," Michael Gwin, the White House's director of rapid response, told Politico's West Wing Playbook.
"The President deeply values the role of the press - that's why he regularly takes time to answer their questions in interviews, press conferences, and the dozens of media availabilities he's done since taking office," Gwin added.