On Monday, Karine Jean-Pierre held a White House press briefing with Admiral John Kirby.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Hi, everybody.
00:29Good afternoon.
00:31Also happy belated Father's Day to all the dads in here.
00:36Hopefully you were well taken care of yesterday.
00:39So a couple of things at the top, and then we'll get going.
00:42So I want to say a few words in recognition of Pride Month.
00:46The Biden-Harris administration joins Americans across the country to celebrate the extraordinary
00:52courage and contributions of the LGBTQI plus community.
00:56This month is a time to reflect on the progress we have made in pursuit of equality, justice,
01:02and inclusion.
01:04And it's time to recommit ourselves to do more to support LGBTQI plus rights at home
01:11and around the world.
01:13Since day one, the Biden-Harris administration has taken historic action to advance equality
01:19for the community.
01:20But last year, more than 600 anti-LGBTQI plus bills were filed in statehouses across
01:28the country.
01:29And a significant portion of them target transgender youth.
01:34As President Biden says, these young people are some of the bravest people he knows, but
01:40no one should have to be brave just to be themselves.
01:45The Biden-Harris administration is going to continue to speak out and stand up against
01:49these attacks and will remain focused on realizing the promise of America for all Americans.
01:57I want to close by saying to the LGBTQI plus community that there is always someone you
02:02can talk to if you're going through a hard time and need support.
02:07The Biden-Harris administration launched the 988 line to help.
02:12And we have a line dedicated to serving LGBTQI plus young people that can be reached by dialing
02:18988 and pressing 3.
02:21Again, dialing 988 and pressing 3.
02:24This month, we will continue to celebrate courageous LGBTQI plus people and take pride
02:31in the example they set for our nation and around the world.
02:36Second, as many of you know, there were a tragic series of shootings over the weekend.
02:42This included a shooting in Michigan that injured multiple children and a shooting at
02:47a Juneteenth festival in Texas that left two people dead and over a dozen injured.
02:52The president has been tracking these tragedies.
02:55We are praying for the families who lost loved ones to these senseless violence and wishing
03:00all those who were injured a speedy recovery.
03:03Our team is in contact with state and local officials.
03:06As the president has said, this is not normal and Congress must act.
03:12At the same time, he will continue to use every tool at his disposal to end the epidemic
03:18of gun violence that is tearing our communities apart.
03:21And let's not forget gun violence is the number one killer of young people across the country.
03:26And now I'm going to turn it over to the Admiral who is going to speak to developing matters
03:32in the Middle East.
03:33And also I know there's some NSC travel happening as well abroad.
03:37I want to thank Kareen in advance for her indulgence and all of yours.
03:43I do have quite a few things to get through.
03:45So if you just bear with me, I appreciate it.
03:48I want to start off here at the top by providing an update on maritime attacks conducted by
03:53Iranian-backed Houthis and to preview some sanctions that will be rolled out later today
03:57by the Treasury Department.
03:59Now a few days ago, the Houthis attacked the Liberian flag, Greek-owned and operated bulk
04:05cargo carrier merchant vessel Tudor, killing a crew member who hailed from the Philippines.
04:11The Tudor had just completed a port call in Russia and was bound for Egypt.
04:14She had nothing whatsoever, nothing to do with the conflict in Gaza.
04:19They also attacked the Palauan-flagged, Ukrainian-owned, Polish-operated motor vessel Verbena, critically
04:25wounding a crew member from Sri Lanka.
04:28The Verbena had previously stopped in China, then Thailand, and was on her way to Italy.
04:33She, too, had nothing whatsoever to do with the conflict in Gaza.
04:37So just think about that for a hot minute or two.
04:39The Houthis killed an innocent crew member from the Philippines and critically wounded
04:43a Sri Lankan sailor who was guilty of no crimes, who were simply doing their jobs as professional
04:49mariners.
04:50They weren't delivering arms to Israel.
04:52They weren't taking sides in the Middle East.
04:54They were just manning their posts aboard ship, trying to earn a paycheck and keep global
04:57commerce moving.
04:59Like the ships that they sailed in, these two blokes had nothing whatsoever to do with
05:03the conflict in Gaza.
05:05Now these most recent attacks, of course, come on top of numerous others in recent months,
05:09attacks which can and only rightly be labeled acts of terrorism against nations from around
05:14the world.
05:15Even the Yemeni people have fallen victim, as the Houthis have on one occasion struck
05:18a ship that was bringing grain to their own ports.
05:22These attacks also obstruct humanitarian aid to Sudan, where the needs are tremendous and
05:26the conditions desperate, and they impact commerce for every neighboring country in
05:30the Horn of Africa and the Middle East, from Egypt to Ethiopia to Jordan and Djibouti.
05:36The Houthis are causing needless suffering across the entire region for Gazans, for the
05:40Sudanese, for the Yemenis themselves.
05:43And as I said, this is pure terrorism.
05:45There's simply no other word for it.
05:47The Houthi claim of supporting Gazans is meritless in any case.
05:51Israeli ports are now open for the moving of goods directly into Gaza, and we are in
05:55the process of moving thousands of pallets from Ashdod into Gaza as we speak.
05:59The United States has provided thousands of metric tons of assistance to Gazans and will
06:04continue to do so.
06:06We are the largest contributor by far to date.
06:09The Houthis, by contrast, have not provided so much as a slice of bread to the Palestinians
06:14in Gaza.
06:16For our part, the United States will continue to ensure assistance is reaching Gaza in large
06:20quantities and we will continue to act with partners around the world to hold the Houthi
06:23terrorists accountable for their actions.
06:25Today, as I mentioned at the top, Treasury will announce new sanction designations against
06:29individuals and entities that are involved in the Houthi weapons procurement network.
06:34We're going to continue to target this network to degrade the Houthis' ability to replenish
06:38its munitions, and we'll continue to target threats to international commerce when necessary,
06:44including taking another strike, as we did just last night, against an unmanned aerial
06:49vehicle that posed a direct threat to ships in the area.
06:52But I thought it was important to just provide a little context here.
06:56These Houthi attacks, they don't grab the headlines that they used to grab, but they're
07:00having an impact, and we are trying to have an impact on their ability.
07:05Their actions are truly reckless, beyond the pale.
07:08They talk a mighty good game, but their actions speak a hell of a lot louder.
07:12They don't care a whit about Palestinians in Gaza.
07:15And this isn't some principled stand they're taking.
07:18It's terrorism, as I said, pure and simple, and it has to stop.
07:22Now, as you know, the President will meet with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg
07:26at the White House later this afternoon to talk about planning for NATO's 75th annual
07:30summit next month in Washington.
07:32The President will reaffirm the ironclad U.S. commitment to Article 5 of the Washington
07:36Treaty, and it welcomes steps that allies are taking to support Ukraine.
07:40I expect the two leaders will also talk about the progress that NATO allies are all making
07:44on increasing their defense spending, which has more than doubled since President Biden
07:48took office.
07:49Quickly, turning, if I could, to National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan's trip to
07:53India, where he met with senior members of the Indian Government and U.S. and Indian
07:58industry leaders to expand key areas of cooperation between our countries today.
08:04In New Delhi, Mr. Sullivan will co-chair the U.S.-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging
08:09Technology, also known as ISET, a landmark partnership to expand strategic cooperation
08:15across key technology sectors, including space, semiconductors, advanced telecommunications,
08:21artificial intelligence, quantum technology, biotechnology, and clean energy.
08:26As the world's two oldest and largest democracies, the United States and India share a unique
08:30bond of friendship.
08:32Mr. Sullivan's trip will further deepen the already strong U.S.-India partnership to create
08:36a safer, more prosperous Indo-Pacific.
08:39And finally, I want to just briefly highlight the successful Summit on Peace in Ukraine
08:43over the past weekend, which Vice President Harris and National Security Advisor Sullivan
08:47both attended.
08:49More than 100 countries and organizations came together to discuss the importance of
08:53reaching a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, based on the core principles of sovereignty
08:58and territorial integrity, the foundation of the UN Charter.
09:03As President Biden said on Thursday when he signed our historic bilateral security agreement
09:06with Ukraine, a lasting peace for Ukraine must be underwritten by Ukraine's own ability
09:11to defend itself now and to deter future aggression.
09:15So we're going to continue to provide military aid to help Ukraine defend itself on the battlefield,
09:18and we're going to continue to support the Ukrainian people, including through the new
09:22funding that Vice President Harris announced to repair Ukraine's energy infrastructure
09:27and through new funding for humanitarian aid and assistance to support Ukrainians who have
09:30been displaced from their homes and from their lives.
09:33With that, thank you for your patience.
09:35We'll take some questions.
09:37QUESTION.
09:38Can you give us your response to Prime Minister Netanyahu's move to disband his war cabinet?
09:42He seems to think that there's no need for an extra branch of government, as it was described
09:47to us.
09:48Do you agree that a war cabinet isn't necessary right now?
09:50MR.
09:51VENTRELLEY Well, that's really up to the prime minister to decide, Mary.
09:53This is – the war cabinet is an internal – was an internal domestic measure taken
10:00by the prime minister to better advise and provide him counsel on the war.
10:06We said at the time that we believed it was a worthwhile step, and we still hold by that.
10:12But with Mr. Gantz's decision to leave, I'm not sure that Prime Minister Netanyahu
10:18was left with a whole lot of other choices.
10:20QUESTION.
10:21And more broadly speaking, how concerned is the President right now that far-right voices
10:24in the Israeli Government may yield more power?
10:27MR.
10:28VENTRELLEY Again, that's going to be up to Israeli leaders and that's going to be
10:30up to the prime minister.
10:31We deal with the prime minister.
10:33The prime minister is the elected head of the Israeli Government.
10:35That's who the President deals with.
10:37He will continue to do so.
10:38They don't agree on everything.
10:39They're not going to agree on everything going forward, but they have a long relationship
10:43with one another and they know that they'll both have an open line to one another.
10:48So we're going to leave it at that.
10:50QUESTION.
10:51Thanks.
10:52Could you comment at all on Putin's trip to North Korea and the possibility that there's
10:58going to be an agreement, a partnership agreement signed?
11:00MR.
11:01VENTRELLEY Yeah, look, no surprise that he went to North Korea after his so-called election.
11:04A real nail-biter that that was.
11:07He was going to go on a little bit of a charm offensive here, and that's what he appears
11:09to be doing.
11:11We're not concerned about the trip.
11:13What we are concerned about, Trevor, is the deepening relationship between these two countries,
11:18not just because of the impacts it's going to have on the Ukrainian people, because we
11:21know North Korean ballistic missiles are still being used to hit Ukrainian targets, but because
11:28there could be some reciprocity here that could affect security on the Korean Peninsula.
11:34Now, we haven't seen the parameters of all that right now, certainly haven't seen it
11:37come to fruition, but we're certainly going to be watching that very, very closely.
11:40QUESTION.
11:41And do you have any comments on this apparent collision between the Chinese and the Philippines?
11:47MR.
11:48VENTRELLEY In the Philippines, yeah.
11:49This is a – you're talking about the second Thomas Shoal.
11:51Yeah, these are troubling reports because it appears as if – and just from initial
11:56operational reports that we've gotten – that at least one Philippine sailor was wounded.
12:01I mean, you talk about collisions in water cannons and you don't think about the damage
12:07that can do to the human body, but let me tell you something, it can.
12:11And so we're deeply concerned about the injuries suffered by this Philippine sailor,
12:16obviously wishing him the best in terms of his recovery.
12:19But more critically to your question, this kind of behavior is provocative, it's reckless,
12:24it's unnecessary, and it could lead to misunderstandings and miscalculations that could lead to something
12:30much bigger and much more violent.
12:32It's imperative that the rightful legal maritime claims by the Philippines are respected
12:40by the PRC and by everybody else, for that matter.
12:43QUESTION.
12:44Excuse me.
12:45Admiral, has the President taken part in consultations about deployment of more nuclear weapons?
12:53Has Secretary General Stoltenberg referred to in an interview with the Telegraph?
12:57MR.
12:58KIRBY.
12:59Look, we're a NATO ally and we talk to our NATO allies all the time about what readiness
13:02looks like, what posture needs to look like, and how we can all be better postured to meet
13:07our Article 5 commitments, the same commitments that the President is going to reiterate when
13:11he meets with Jen Stoltenberg later this afternoon.
13:13We don't talk about nuclear posture with any specificity, and I'm certainly not going
13:17to start doing that here from the podium.
13:19I'll just tell you that we're comfortable, as we have been comfortable, with our strategic
13:23deterrent posture, not only on the European continent but around the world.
13:27QUESTION.
13:28If you allow me, how can this not be perceived as provocation or an escalation in – of
13:37tension in Europe?
13:38MR.
13:39KIRBY.
13:40Who would perceive it as a provocation or an escalation?
13:41QUESTION.
13:42Russia.
13:43MR.
13:44KIRBY.
13:45Oh, Russia.
13:46Russia, the same country that invaded Ukraine, which posed absolutely no threat to them.
13:47NATO is a defensive alliance, and NATO countries are some of the most sophisticated in the
13:55world when it comes to military capabilities.
13:59And it would be irresponsible and imprudent if we weren't constantly talking to our
14:03NATO allies about how to make sure we can meet our commitments to one another across
14:07a range of military capabilities, and that's as far as I'll go.
14:11QUESTION.
14:12John, former acting CIA Director Michael Morell wrote in Foreign Affairs today that the terrorism
14:16warning lights are blinking red again.
14:18Do you agree with that assessment?
14:19MR.
14:20KIRBY.
14:21We would absolutely say unequivocally that we've got to keep our eye on the terrorist
14:26threat.
14:28Just in the recent week or so, AFRICOM took a strike on some ISIS leaders in Somalia.
14:36Now, we're still waiting for the actual battle damage assessment of that strike, but
14:41it's clear that the threat is still real and we have to still go after it.
14:45QUESTION.
14:46One of the vulnerabilities he cites is that thousands of people are crossing the border
14:49unknown each week, and that he says that the United States should consider using national
14:55emergency authorities.
14:56Is that something the Administration is considering?
14:59Is he wrong there?
15:00MR.
15:01KIRBY.
15:02I don't have anything in terms of decision-making on what those – I'm not even sure I completely
15:04understand what he means by all those authorities.
15:06I would tell you that, as Karine has said in just recent days, the President has taken
15:11executive action that he believes is warranted.
15:14But what's really needed at the border – I mean, we can – everybody can talk a good
15:18game, but you can't really change what's happening at the border unless you have legislation,
15:23unless you have real resources and funding and support that is sustainable over time
15:29to make a big difference down at the border.
15:31So there's no magic wand that can be waved here to make it all go away.
15:34QUESTION.
15:35But is there anything more the Administration can do without Congress?
15:37MR.
15:38KIRBY.
15:39Well, the President already, as you just saw last week, announced some executive action,
15:41particularly when it comes to asylum.
15:43But what we really need is for Congress to act.
15:46There was a deal on the table, a bipartisan deal in the Senate, that would have been the
15:50most sweeping change – would have caused the most sweeping changes, not just to border
15:54enforcement and security, but to immigration policy itself in many, many years, and it
15:59didn't go anywhere because a certain ex-official decided he didn't like it, that he thought
16:05it was better for there to be a problem rather than a solution.
16:08So the President took some executive action.
16:09I'm not going to foreclose what he would do in the future, but what we really need
16:13is comprehensive legislation.
16:15QUESTION.
16:16John, following up on that, given the fact that there are these concerns about the rising
16:21threat of terrorism, is the President considering raising the terror alert level?
16:25And if not, why wouldn't he consider it?
16:27MR.
16:28KIRBY.
16:29I'm not aware of any decision to change that.
16:30We're watching this like a hawk every single day.
16:32As I said, AFRICOM just in recent days took a strike, an airstrike against some ISIS leaders
16:37in Somalia.
16:38It's not something that we have ever stopped focusing on.
16:43I mean, as you remember, when we conducted the withdrawal from Afghanistan, we talked
16:48about sharpening over-the-horizon targeting capability, and you've seen that bear out
16:53now, places like Iraq and in Syria, now in Somalia and in other places.
16:57It's not something that we take lightly.
16:59It's not something that we aren't constantly trying to improve and sharpen.
17:04And we have not lost one bit – have not lost one bit of focus on the terrorism threat,
17:10either here in the United States or around the world.
17:13QUESTION In Jake's meetings in India, has the plot
17:17to kill an American Sikh activist come up at all, and do you expect that to be part
17:23of the discussions?
17:24MR.
17:25KIRBY I don't have more to add on the conversations
17:26that Jake's having.
17:27He's still over there having these conversations, but the main focus of his visit, as I said,
17:33was to look for ways to deepen the U.S.-India bilateral relationship, particularly when
17:37it comes to emerging technology.
17:38QUESTION Will he bring this up?
17:39MR.
17:40KIRBY I don't have anything more to add on the
17:41conversations.
17:42MS.
17:43PSAKI Thank you so much.
17:44I have a question about China and then another on the cricket.
17:45Starting with President —
17:46MR.
17:47KIRBY Oh, no.
17:48MS.
17:49PSAKI On the cricket.
17:50MR.
17:51KIRBY As in the game?
17:52MS.
17:53PSAKI Yes.
17:54MR.
17:55KIRBY Okay.
17:56MS.
17:57PSAKI Starting with President Xi —
17:58MR.
17:59KIRBY Yeah, see, I just wanted to make clear it
18:00wasn't a bug.
18:01QUESTION Or the singing insect, perhaps.
18:02MR.
18:03KIRBY Yeah.
18:04Go ahead.
18:05MS.
18:06PSAKI Let me know.
18:07Okay.
18:09I'm going to ask you a follow-up on this.
18:10Sounds awfully similar to some of the language that President Putin was using to justify
18:14his invasion of Ukraine.
18:15Do you think that Xi is taking a line from Putin's playbook?
18:19How concerned are you about it, and is this something that the two leaders have talked
18:22about?
18:23MR.
18:24KIRBY It's bogus, for one.
18:25There's absolutely no truth to it.
18:26I can't get into Mr. Xi's head and figure out where — who's giving him his talking
18:29points or where it's coming from.
18:30It's just not true.
18:31What's your next question?
18:32QUESTION All right.
18:33On cricket, what's the difference between a spin ball and a — no, I'm joking.
18:36I'm joking.
18:37The U.S. team has spin balled their way into glory.
18:40They're in the —
18:41MR.
18:42KIRBY Yeah.
18:43Congratulations to them.
18:44I saw that.
18:45They're in the Super 8 now.
18:46It's amazing.
18:47QUESTION The Super 8.
18:48And they're facing the Proteas and then the Windys in the coming days.
18:49Does the President have a message for this unexpected success in a sport that is wildly
18:54popular everywhere else in the world?
18:55MR.
18:56KIRBY We all congratulate them on this success.
18:57It's tremendous, and we're cheering them on.
18:59MS.
19:00PSAKI All right.
19:01Let's keep going.
19:02Hand it back.
19:03QUESTION Thank you.
19:05MS.
19:06PSAKI Thank you.
19:07Go ahead.
19:08Go ahead.
19:09Go ahead.
19:10Go ahead.
19:11Go ahead.
19:12Go ahead.
19:13Go ahead.
19:14Go ahead.
19:15Go ahead.
19:16Go ahead.
19:17Go ahead.
19:18Go ahead.
19:19Go ahead.
19:20Go ahead.
19:21Go ahead.
19:22Go ahead.
19:23Go ahead.
19:24Go ahead.
19:25Go ahead.
19:26Go ahead.
19:27Go ahead.
19:28Go ahead.
19:29Go ahead.
19:30Go ahead.
19:31Go ahead.
19:32Go ahead.
19:33Go ahead.
19:34Go ahead.
19:35Go ahead.
19:36QUESTION All right.
19:37Go ahead.
19:38Thank you.
19:39We're going to come to Newsite News.
19:40If Marshall Fickler can hear us, all right.
19:41Thank you.
19:42Statement byeraservice.com.
19:43MR.
19:44UNDERWOOD I'm positively tell Chairmand that as
19:45the United States continues to analyze communications talked about sanctions and other actions to
19:46strike targets at Russia, Moscow responded by saying that they could hit British targets
19:47quote, on Ukraine's territory and beyond its borders in retaliation.
19:48What would the President's response be if Moscow was to take that action against the
19:49regime?
19:50MR.
19:51KIRBY Well, that's a hypothetical I don't need to
19:52when it comes to the use of long-range US strike weapons
19:59into Russia proper.
20:01I also just want to correct something you said.
20:03You said he greenlit at the G7 this idea of cross-border use
20:07of US weapons for cross-border imminent threats.
20:09That's actually a decision he made well before the G7.
20:13So in terms of this Russian threat
20:15to potentially strike British targets on Ukrainian territory
20:19and beyond, what is the White House response
20:21to that type of rhetoric coming from Moscow?
20:23Look, my response to Mr. Putin is this.
20:25If you're so worried about becoming
20:28the victim of attacks, and you're
20:31worried about your troops' livelihoods
20:33and your military units, then get the hell out of Ukraine.
20:35You don't have any business being there in the first place.
20:38That's my best advice to Mr. Putin.
20:40Thank you very much, Karim.
20:41Hi, John.
20:42So President Biden has sent an envoy today
20:46to Israel and Lebanon.
20:47How real, John, is the possibility
20:51that this war will expand to Lebanon?
20:54Do you believe, do you think this full war there
21:01is more real today, the possibility,
21:03than it was a few weeks ago?
21:05And do you believe that it's possible to de-escalate
21:08the situation there, the growing escalation of tension,
21:13without a ceasefire?
21:14Look, I don't want to sound blasé about this.
21:18If we weren't concerned about the possibility of escalation
21:21and a full-blown second front there to the north,
21:26we wouldn't still be involved in such intense diplomacy.
21:29And Mr. Hochstein's over there right now.
21:31As a matter of fact, he's in Israel
21:32as we speak to have these conversations.
21:34And he'll follow that up with conversations in Beirut.
21:37So obviously, we're concerned about this.
21:39We haven't seen Hezbollah jump in with two full feet here.
21:44They have been, of course, conducting strikes
21:47across that border.
21:48The Israelis have been defending themselves against that.
21:51We don't want to see escalation.
21:53We don't want to see a second front.
21:54And we are concerned about it.
21:57Is there a possibility more real today than two weeks ago?
22:00You know, that's a slide and scale kind of question
22:02that I don't think I'm really educated enough to answer.
22:06I mean, it's obviously still of concern.
22:08There continues to be exchange of fire across that border.
22:11And if we weren't concerned about it,
22:13we certainly wouldn't have sent Amos over there.
22:16Thank you.
22:18Thanks, John.
22:18To follow up on Mary, you said that the US
22:21did think it was worthwhile to have the war cabinet in place.
22:25Now that it is no longer, does the US
22:27believe it will be a detriment as Netanyahu makes decisions
22:31with him?
22:32I think that remains to be seen.
22:33And then secondly, do you have an update on the US-built pier,
22:37the humanitarian aid pier that has been removed?
22:43That is undergoing repairs?
22:46Because of severe weather that we
22:48talked about being a problem in the summertime
22:50here in the Eastern Med.
22:51I don't.
22:52You'd have to go to the Pentagon for a real more tactical
22:55update.
22:56As I understand it, they did have weather-related issues.
22:58They had to dismantle it for the safety of everybody involved.
23:01But I honestly don't know what the new status is.
23:05Thanks, John.
23:07Thanks, Karine.
23:08Secretary General Stoltenberg was
23:09talking about once the current fighting in Ukraine
23:13ends, that the ultimate security guarantee to prevent it
23:17from happening again, that Russia invades again,
23:19is Article 5 from NATO.
23:22He seemed to be very clear that Ukraine should be admitted
23:25into NATO after the current fighting ends.
23:30Can you speak to that?
23:31Is that a commitment that the US shares,
23:34feels that once this current fighting ends,
23:37that feels strongly that Ukraine can get into NATO?
23:40The President has said that he believes that NATO
23:43is in Ukraine's future.
23:46And there's a lot of things that have
23:48to be done before they can join the alliance,
23:51like any member has to do before they can join the alliance.
23:54But the President believes firmly
23:56that NATO is in Ukraine's future at some point.
23:59But those conditions that have been somewhat a little bit
24:04vague, it's been a very, it has not been a very clear pathway.
24:09When would they be able to do the action plan
24:12that they can get on?
24:13I'm sorry, I've got to disagree with you there.
24:15It's absolutely clear.
24:16And the alliance has talked about,
24:21and the United States certainly talked about,
24:23first they've got to win this war.
24:26They've got to win the war first.
24:27And so number one, we're doing everything we can
24:30to make sure they can do that.
24:31Then when the war's over, no matter what it looks like,
24:34they're still going to have a long border with Russia
24:36and a legitimate security threat to the Ukrainian people.
24:39That's why the President at the G7
24:42signed our bilateral security agreement,
24:44joining what some other 14, 15 other countries
24:46have done the same thing,
24:47to make sure that for the long haul,
24:49Ukraine's defense industrial base can continue to make sure
24:52that they have what they need to defend themselves.
24:54And that includes assistance from the United States.
24:56That's the long haul.
24:57That will help them defend themselves
25:01while they work on the necessary things they have to do,
25:04like any member of the alliance has to work on,
25:06for instance, on corruption,
25:07before they can apply for NATO membership.
25:10But we do believe that NATO is in Ukraine's future,
25:13and we're going to work with them
25:14every step of the way to get them there.
25:16Is corruption still a major concern for NATO alliance?
25:19Corruption is a concern,
25:20but there's certainly other things that need to be done
25:23for any nation that wants to join the alliance.
25:28And I want to reiterate that joining the alliance
25:32is an alliance decision.
25:33It's not something the United States
25:34can just make happen magically.
25:36It has to be done through the existing allies as well.
25:41Yes, in an interview with ABC.
25:44National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan
25:46said over the weekend that he had plans
25:47to meet with officials from Qatar and Israel
25:49while he was in Switzerland.
25:51Did he actually have those meetings,
25:52and is there any update you can provide
25:54on the ceasefire and hostage general?
25:56I would just say that we have maintained communication
25:59with both Qatar and Egypt.
26:01And while I don't have any progress to report today
26:05in terms of where things are,
26:10we still believe this is a very live process.
26:13And these conversations are, in fact, being,
26:17they're constructive.
26:18And we're hoping that we'll be able to get there.
26:21So yes, those conversations are happening.
26:23The President met with the Pope, obviously, last week.
26:25Did he raise his reported use of homophobic slurs
26:28when he met with him privately?
26:29I don't have anything more specific to speak to
26:33in terms of the meeting with the Pope.
26:35That's out of my swim lane at the NSC.
26:38But any response to his reported use of those words,
26:41of those terms?
26:41I just don't have anything for you on that.
26:43I'm sorry.
26:45Thank you.
26:46This morning, Secretary General Stoltenberg
26:47said in public comments that publicly,
26:50President Xi has tried to create the impression
26:52that he's taking a backseat in the conflict in Ukraine,
26:56but the reality is that China is fueling
26:57the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II.
27:00What's the U.S.'s view on that?
27:01We've already said almost the same thing.
27:03I mean, they are continuing to provide
27:06components for military equipment
27:10and weapon systems, microelectronics,
27:12that have helped shore up.
27:15What, without that support, would have been
27:17a truly crumbling Russian defense industrial base.
27:19We've made those concerns directly clear
27:23to the Chinese as well.
27:25He said that there are not enough costs
27:26being imposed on Beijing for that.
27:29Is that something that the President
27:30and the Secretary General are going to be discussing,
27:32how the alliance can impose more costs on China?
27:35I have no doubt that they'll discuss a range
27:36of issues important to the NATO alliance,
27:38and clearly that means supporting Ukraine,
27:40and clearly that means trying to make it harder
27:43for Russia to be able to murder and slaughter
27:46innocent Ukrainians and destroy Ukrainian infrastructure.
27:49And the Chinese, because of the support
27:51that they are providing to the Russian defense
27:53industrial base, certainly bear hand
27:54in helping Mr. Putin do that.
27:57I didn't see those particular comments
28:00by the NATO Secretary General,
28:02so I'm not gonna get into a back and forth on that,
28:04but I would just tell you, I'd encourage anybody,
28:07just look at the range of actions that we have taken
28:10to try to hold Russia accountable,
28:13not just from a perspective of supplying Ukraine,
28:17but in terms of going after their own economic ability,
28:21and look at how he's basically running on a war
28:24economy and nothing else.
28:25Here he is in Pyongyang, trying to get more stuff
28:29from the North Koreans.
28:31We have done a lot to hold Mr. Putin accountable,
28:33and that means, and it has included,
28:36holding some of these Chinese companies accountable
28:38as well for the support that they're giving
28:39to the Russian defense industrial base.
28:42Russian fleet has reportedly left Havana.
28:45Do you know where it's going,
28:46and what your level of concern is about it?
28:50I can't speak for the Russian Navy.
28:52I don't have insight as to what their course and speed is
28:58and where they're going,
28:59and we've already talked about this.
29:02It's important to keep it in perspective.
29:03The Russians do this every few years.
29:06They make an excursion to the Caribbean
29:08and to Latin American waters.
29:10It's not new.
29:11Did it under Trump, did it under Obama,
29:13did it under President Bush.
29:15We watch it closely and monitor it as we should.
29:17No question about that, but as I've said earlier,
29:21this excursion of theirs doesn't pose
29:24a national security threat to the American people
29:26or to the homeland.
29:29Thank you.
29:30Hi, John.
29:31Can you update us on the talks being held in Jerusalem
29:34to prevent an escalation on the Lebanese border?
29:37I'm sorry, can I?
29:38There are talks, like the U.S.
29:40I already talked about that a little bit.
29:43I kind of answered that question before
29:44when I talked about Hamos and Israel.
29:45Yeah, but is it still your assessment
29:48that there won't be an escalation
29:50and that Hezbollah won't go far into the-
29:54If we were so sure of that,
29:55we probably wouldn't have Hamos traveling over there.
29:57We're concerned about it, obviously.
30:00All right, John, last question.
30:01Thanks, Karine.
30:02Thanks, John.
30:03One of the successes that President Biden touted
30:06at the G7 summit was this agreement by G7 leaders
30:10to provide $50 billion in loans to Ukraine.
30:14Can you walk through the process
30:16of how that money actually gets to Ukraine
30:19when it is provided to Ukraine,
30:22what that money is used for specifically?
30:25I think the modalities of all that
30:27are still being worked out, John.
30:28I couldn't detail it for you here today,
30:31but it's basically about taking the windfall profits
30:34off these frozen assets,
30:35turning them around and doing something good with them.
30:38And so they're provided as a quote-unquote loan to Ukraine.
30:43For Ukraine specifically,
30:44I mean, it'll be up to President Zelensky to decide,
30:47the idea is to help him repair his infrastructure,
30:51infrastructure that's been damaged
30:52by Russia's aggression inside the country
30:55and to help them with reconstruction.
30:56And you don't have to wait until the war's over to do that.
31:00In fact, that would be a terrible thing
31:03to do to the Ukrainian people.
31:04So it's a way to get that reconstruction started right now
31:08and have Russia literally and figuratively
31:11be the one foot in the bill.
31:12Can you explain why you just called it a quote-unquote loan?
31:16Because it's not as if,
31:20because if you're using the windfall profits,
31:22it's not as if Ukraine's going to have to pay those back.
31:26It's going to, you're going to continue to be able to source
31:28that through the frozen assets
31:30and the windfall profits from those assets.
31:33Okay. Thanks, Admiral.
31:34Thank you.
31:39Thanks, Admiral.
31:41I do want to say something really quickly here.
31:48When we were going back and forth about the President,
31:51what else is the President going to do?
31:52Yes, the President has been very clear in making sure that,
31:56in saying that we need a legislative solution,
31:58but he also said when he's talked
31:59about the executive action that he recently took,
32:02that in weeks ahead, he's going to speak
32:05on how we can make our immigration system
32:07more fairer and more just.
32:09So he will have more to say on that.
32:12Obviously, we don't have any policy announcement
32:14to make at this time,
32:15but the President is certainly going to continue
32:18to address what we're seeing at the border,
32:21the challenges at the border.
32:22The President has taken this very seriously.
32:24He wants to see action.
32:25He wants to see a bipartisan legislation move towards that,
32:29but we haven't seen that.
32:32And so it is really important that we are,
32:37with the majority of American people,
32:39when it comes to trying to make sure things are done.
32:42On the question of the Pope, and as the Admiral said,
32:46we're not going to go beyond what was read out
32:49and the issues that were discussed,
32:51and it was a range of issues, obviously,
32:53whether it's humanitarian crisis in Gaza,
32:56Ukraine as well,
32:59and what's happening with Russia aggression.
33:01But as it relates to LGBTQ,
33:05and obviously that is something that the Pope can speak to,
33:11but the President has been very clear.
33:12You heard me at the top.
33:14When it comes to LGBTQI plus people
33:17and that he believes that everyone,
33:19including that community, should live in dignity,
33:24should live in dignity,
33:26and he thinks that LGBTQI plus people,
33:29young people are the bravest young people
33:32that he's ever met.
33:34And they should not be facing discrimination,
33:36and I just wanted to be very clear about that as well.
33:39Will.
33:40Okay, I got two questions.
33:42Just one real quick off the top.
33:44Does President Biden plan to meet with Netanyahu
33:47when he comes for his joint visit?
33:48I don't have anything to share on the President's schedule.
33:51As it relates to the Prime Minister visit,
33:53obviously that's something, since Congress invited
33:57the Prime Minister, that's something that they can speak to.
33:59Don't have anything to say at this time.
34:01It's more than a month away.
34:02I just don't have anything to share on the President's schedule.
34:05Secondly, there seems to be a sort of rash of videos
34:08that have been edited to make the President appear
34:11especially frail or mentally confused.
34:14I'm wondering if the White House is especially worried
34:17about the fact that this appears to be a pattern
34:20that we're seeing more of.
34:21Yeah, and I think you all have called this the cheap fakes video,
34:25and that's exactly what they are.
34:26They are cheap fakes video.
34:28They are done in bad faith.
34:30And some of your news organization have been very clear,
34:35have stressed that these right-wing —
34:37the right-wing critics of the President
34:39have a credibility problem because of the fact-checkers
34:43have repeatedly caught them pushing misinformation,
34:45disinformation.
34:47And so we see this, and this is something
34:49coming from your part of the world,
34:52calling them cheap fakes and misinformation.
34:55And I'll quote The Washington Post, where they wrote —
34:58they wrote about this, and they said how a Republican
35:01used misleading videos to attack Biden in a 24-hour period.
35:06And to their credit, we have a conservative
35:08Washington examiner did call them out as well,
35:12calling out The New York Post.
35:14Ironically, several recent cheap fakes
35:17actually attacked the President for thanking troops —
35:20for thanking troops.
35:21That is what they're attacking the President for.
35:24Both in Normandy, this happened, and again in Italy.
35:27And I think that it tells you everything that we need to know
35:31about how desperate — how desperate Republicans are here.
35:36And instead of talking about the President's performance
35:40in office — and what I mean by that is his legislative wins,
35:43what he's been able to do for the American people
35:45across the country — we're seeing these deep fakes,
35:48these manipulated videos.
35:51And it is, again, done in bad faith.
35:55The Surgeon General is calling for this warning label
35:57on social media platforms.
35:59The President and the administration have been clear
36:01you support addressing mental health tied to social media,
36:04especially among young people.
36:05But does the President support this action?
36:07Does he support a warning label like this
36:09as a means to address this crisis?
36:11And to your — to your question, Mary Bruce,
36:13you're absolutely right.
36:14It is — there's a mental health issue.
36:16Our young people are experiencing an unprecedented —
36:20unprecedented mental health — mental health crisis.
36:22That's what we're seeing.
36:24And it is — there is undeniable evidence of this
36:26that social media and other —
36:29other online platforms are contributing to this.
36:32It is exactly why the President and the First Lady,
36:34this administration, has done everything that they can
36:37to really tackle the mental health crisis as part of —
36:41let's not forget, it's part of their key agenda
36:43as we talk about the unity agenda,
36:44because we believe that is something
36:46that could bring both sides together.
36:48Because we're seeing this in red states and in blue states.
36:51And so, we have invested resources
36:53to deal with this issue.
36:55Establishing the new Center of Excellence
36:57on Social Media and Mental Wellness.
36:59Launching the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline —
37:02I just talked about that as it relates to LGBTQ plus youth.
37:05And launching a new interagency tax force
37:08on kids' online health and safety.
37:10So, there is a mental health crisis.
37:12The Surgeon General's announcement
37:13is about reminding parents and also about reminding kids
37:18the risk of using — of using social media.
37:21So, we are going to continue to focus on that.
37:23Obviously, the Surgeon General is going to continue to focus
37:26on that as the country's doctor, physician.
37:28So, I think that's important that he'll continue
37:30to do that work.
37:31And we're going to continue to look at a range of actions
37:34as the Surgeon General is trying to do as well.
37:37But does the President support a warning label like that?
37:39I mean, look, what I would say is that we want to —
37:43as I stated in the unity agenda,
37:45we want to see a bipartisan approach
37:48in dealing with — dealing with this issue, right?
37:51On how to hold social media companies accountable.
37:54The Surgeon General made this announcement
37:56reminding parents, reminding kids what's at stake here,
37:59reminding — understanding that mental health is a —
38:02is a crisis — there is a crisis here in America.
38:05But we believe that the way to move forward —
38:08the best way to move forward — as we say, you know,
38:10there's always going to be policies
38:12that we're going to introduce from here.
38:13But the best way to move forward
38:15is to deal with this in a bipartisan way.
38:17We believe that this —
38:18this is why we included it in the unity agenda.
38:21This is going to be a continuation
38:22of what this President does in his — in his term here,
38:26is let's deal with this in a bipartisan way
38:29because it matters, not about red states or blue states.
38:32And just a scheduling question.
38:33The White House schedule has the President
38:34departing from Rehoboth tomorrow
38:36and then flying to Camp David on Thursday evening.
38:39Is that it for the next week?
38:40I mean, should we expect the President
38:42to hold any kind of public events
38:44before the debate next week?
38:45I will say, stay tuned.
38:46The President's — it's in — you know,
38:48we're still always working through the President's schedule.
38:50As you know, sitting in these seats,
38:52you know how — and covering the President,
38:54you know how that is.
38:55We sometimes — things pop up on the schedule very,
38:58very quickly.
38:59And so we always share that with you all.
39:02I don't have anything to preview or to announce at this time,
39:05but certainly stay tuned.
39:07And when we have something to share,
39:08we certainly will.
39:09Okay.
39:10Do you have any reaction to the federal judge
39:13blocking the protections for LGBT students under Title IX?
39:19Yeah, that happened last week.
39:21No, this was a — that happened last week
39:23and on today as well.
39:24That's right. That's right.
39:26So, obviously, when it comes to these types of ruling,
39:27I would refer you to the Department of Justice
39:30as this decision is being reviewed by them.
39:34So I want to be really careful.
39:36And we've always said every student
39:38has the right to be treated equally and to feel safe —
39:43to feel safe at school. It is important.
39:45That is something that the President
39:46certainly is committed to.
39:48And that is why these protections
39:50are all about making sure students
39:52have equal rights restored.
39:55And also, it is — make sure that is vital,
39:58that they are protected from harassment and also assault.
40:02And so, as it relates to this particular ruling
40:04and what it says — obviously,
40:05I answered this in a more broad stroke.
40:07But as it relates to the ruling and reviewing that,
40:10that's something that the Department of Justice is doing.
40:12Yeah, Risha.
40:13Thank you, Karine. I heard what you said
40:15about bipartisan efforts to deal with social media.
40:19But the Surgeon General was also calling on lawmakers
40:23specifically to pass legislation for this warning label.
40:27So, does the President join in that call to pass legislation
40:31to put a warning label on social media?
40:33So, here's what —
40:35here's what we've been very clear about.
40:36Social media companies need to be held accountable.
40:39They have to be done. That has to be done.
40:42And we need to see that in a legislative way.
40:44We believe it could happen in a bipartisan way.
40:47And that's what the President is going to continue to call on.
40:49Let's figure out a way to hold social media companies
40:53accountable for what is currently happening.
40:55And we know — we see that in the data —
41:00that this is an issue that there is undeniable evidence
41:03that social media is causing harms and other platforms
41:07are contributing to this mental health issue that we're seeing.
41:10Congress is going to decide what that looks like, right?
41:12They can do this in a bipartisan way.
41:14They're going to decide, if they wish to move forward with it,
41:18what that bipartisanship looks like in moving on —
41:22moving forward with dealing with social media.
41:26So, I'm not hearing a yes or no on that.
41:28What I'm saying is that there is — there is a need,
41:32and it needs to happen,
41:33to hold social media companies accountable.
41:36The Surgeon General gave a very powerful —
41:39made a very powerful statement in that op-ed,
41:42stating that, you know, that there are risks —
41:48making sure that parents are aware,
41:50making sure that kids are aware that there is a real risk.
41:54And certainly, that is something
41:56that the Surgeon General should be able to do.
41:58And he's talked about this multiple times.
42:00It's not the first time that he has talked about social media
42:03and the risks that the platform and the evidence shows
42:07that leads to, certainly, mental health — mental health crisis.
42:12So, there's legislation that needs to be done.
42:14It needs to be done in a bipartisan way.
42:16The Surgeon General is also asking legislation to be done.
42:20And so, we need to work on that.
42:22And we'll see what that ultimately looks like.
42:24And then, 10 days out from the debate,
42:26can you share anything about how President Biden is preparing,
42:29including who is sitting in for Trump?
42:32So, look, that is something that the campaign would be gladly —
42:37would gladly answer that question for all of you
42:40as to what that's going to look like.
42:42That is something that lives with them.
42:44The President, as you just mentioned,
42:46is going to be headed to Rehoboth,
42:49as Mary was asking me,
42:51and then he's going to go to Camp David.
42:52And certainly, we will share, as we do all the time,
42:55who's traveling with the President.
42:58That's the best way I can answer that question.
43:00Thanks, Karine.
43:02Given the Supreme Court ruling last week,
43:04would the President encourage Congress
43:06to pass a law banning phone stalks?
43:09So, I do want to say a couple of things about that.
43:12Weapons of war have no place in our streets,
43:16especially of a civil society.
43:18No place.
43:19Unfortunately, the court's ruling strikes down
43:21an important common-sense regulation
43:23on devices that convert semi-automatic rifles
43:26into weapons that can fire hundreds of bullets per minute,
43:29also known as bump stalks.
43:32So, in Las Vegas, as many of you covered,
43:34bump stalks were used to carry out
43:36one of the deadliest mass shootings in American history,
43:3960, killing 60 people,
43:42who were simply trying to enjoy a concert, a music concert.
43:46We continue to pray for them and their families
43:48as they deal, continue to deal with the horrific,
43:52of that horrific event,
43:53and the people of Las Vegas and beyond
43:55who are tragically affected by the epidemic of gun violence.
43:58You heard me talk about that at the top of this briefing
44:02and talk about even what we saw over the weekend.
44:05We continue to call on Congress
44:06to immediately ban bump stalks and assault weapons
44:10and take further action to implement common safety measures.
44:14And so, the President has taken action.
44:15He's done more than two dozen executive actions.
44:18We have a historic office that deals with gun violence,
44:22and certainly that's led by the Vice President.
44:25The President continues to talk about this issue,
44:28and he wants to see, again,
44:30another place where he's done the work
44:33from this side of Pennsylvania.
44:36He wants to see Congress also move forward
44:38because the way to actually deal with gun violence
44:41is through legislation.
44:42Has he talked to the majority leaders specifically
44:43about putting a bill on the floor as soon as possible?
44:46So, we are in constant communication with the office of,
44:50through from the Office of Leg Affairs,
44:51through Congress, both on the House and the Senate,
44:55about an array of issues that matter,
44:58legislative issues that matter to the President,
45:00including this gun violence
45:03and finding ways to prevent this epidemic.
45:06And so, look, you heard me just call out
45:09what it is that we want Congress to do,
45:11banning assault weapons, obviously banning bump stalks.
45:15Immediately, we want to see that happen.
45:17And so, this is a legislative priority for this President.
45:20Okay, there.
45:21The Press The President said this weekend
45:23that the next President is likely to have
45:26two new Supreme Court nominees.
45:29Can you talk to the thinking behind that?
45:32I got to be mindful here.
45:34It was said in a campaign event,
45:40and he certainly was answering that in,
45:44you know, as it relates to the 2024 election.
45:48He's going to be super mindful.
45:49I'm going to allow you all to do the work on this
45:54and to kind of figure out who he was talking about,
45:56what he meant.
45:58But, look, I'll say this.
46:03Next Monday, a week from today,
46:05we are going to be, sadly, commemorating the Dobbs decision.
46:12Two years ago, a week from today,
46:15we saw what the Supreme Court was able to do.
46:17They were able to overturn Roe v.
46:20Wade, which was the law of the land for almost 50 years,
46:23which gave women the ability to make a decision
46:26on their own body,
46:28gave women the ability to make important,
46:32critical, difficult decisions on their healthcare.
46:35That was taken away.
46:36And when that was taken away,
46:38we saw contraception is now under attack.
46:41We see now IVF is now under attack.
46:44We saw what Republicans did just last week.
46:46And there are freedoms that are now under attack
46:49because of what the Supreme Court was able to do
46:53by just overturning something
46:55that was the law of the land for almost 50 years.
46:58And we know that happened
47:00because of what the former president did,
47:03which was appoint justices
47:07who he believed would be part of overturning Roe v.
47:12Wade, and they did just that.
47:13Disliking what the current justices do is different
47:17than getting the opportunity to nominate two new justices.
47:21But I think you're just hopefully you're seeing
47:24how I'm trying to connect the two, right?
47:27It was said back in 2016, right,
47:30that we gotta be really mindful on how we move forward here.
47:34And what happened in the last administration
47:37is that the former president was able
47:40to appoint three justices.
47:43And look what happened to Dobbs' decision happened, right?
47:45So there is history here,
47:47because I can't speak to 2024.
47:49I'm speaking to the past and what occurred.
47:52And next Monday, we are going to be commemorating a day
47:56where the Supreme Court justice overturned
48:00a constitutional right that was around for almost 50 years
48:03that has created 21 states now that have banned abortion.
48:09We're talking about 27 million women
48:11who are of reproductive rights, reproductive health,
48:16who now can't make that decision for themselves.
48:19If you have doctors, if they performed health care
48:23for women that relates to reproductive health care,
48:27they could get arrested.
48:29I mean, that is where we are right now.
48:31That's why I'm using the past to try and help answer
48:34the question that you're asking of me,
48:36but I'm not gonna dive into
48:38who the president was speaking of.
48:39But you see a pattern here is what I'm trying to speak to.
48:42Go ahead.
48:43Yeah, thanks, Karine.
48:44I wanna ask you about the American dream.
48:46So overall, the average sale price of a home
48:49is up 29% under President Biden.
48:51We have record low inventory,
48:52according to the National Association of Realtors,
48:55and the cost of a mortgage is up
48:56because interest rates are up to fight inflation.
48:58So is the American dream out of reach
49:01for a lot of Americans now?
49:02So, Ed, I appreciate the question,
49:03and I hear what you're saying.
49:05And look, the president understands
49:06that Americans are struggling right now
49:08to pay for their rent, to buy a home, and we get that.
49:11That's why the president took action
49:14some time ago early in his administration.
49:16And the things that it did
49:18was reduce mortgage insurance premiums by 900 bucks per year
49:22for hundreds of thousands of first-time home buyers,
49:26expand rental assistance to 100,000 additional household,
49:30cut the red tape, and expand financing
49:33to build tens of thousands of affordable housing.
49:35And because of that, we see a record
49:37of 1.7 million housing units are being built nationwide,
49:41and that is the most ever.
49:43And more apartments are being built each year
49:46under this president than any other administration
49:50since the 1980s.
49:51And so that matters.
49:52But the president also understands
49:54that there's more work to be done,
49:56but he has taken an action.
49:57He's created a task force to deal with this issue
50:00because he understands how much Americans are struggling
50:03just to buy a home, just to pay rent.
50:05And so he's going to continue to do that.
50:07So you're saying eventually prices will come down?
50:09And what's the timeframe?
50:11No, what I'm saying is the president has taken action,
50:13and we have seen 1.7 million housing units are being built,
50:16affordable housing units are being built.
50:19There's more work to do.
50:20The president also is calling on Congress
50:23to pass his housing plan,
50:25which was called by experts
50:28the most consequential housing plan in more than 50 years.
50:31So he's taking more action.
50:32We've seen how the three things that I laid out
50:35in answering your question has actually helped,
50:38taking away red tape,
50:40continuing to expand rental assistance,
50:42making sure that thousands of Americans
50:45are able to have these insurance premiums at $900 per year,
50:49these mortgage insurance premiums,
50:51which is all important in how they're trying to,
50:54you're right, trying to get that American dream.
50:56Buying a home is indeed very much part of that American dream,
50:59and the president understands that.
51:01One more if I could. Yeah, sure.
51:03By talking about,
51:05the president talks about threats to democracy,
51:07and this is the first time I've had a chance to ask a question
51:08since former President Trump was convicted.
51:11How is it not a threat to democracy
51:13when you have a prosecutor from the same party as the president
51:16waiting seven years to prosecute
51:18the political opponent in an election year?
51:21I'm sorry, I don't-
51:23How is it not a threat to democracy
51:24when you have a prosecutor of the same political party
51:27as the president waiting seven years,
51:29the crime happened in 2017,
51:31to prosecute in an election year a former president who's now-
51:34That's a question for the Department of Justice
51:36on their timeline and how this moves.
51:37I can't answer that for you here.
51:39Go ahead, Phil.
51:40Thank you. There was some confusion on this previously,
51:43and the president seemed to address this in passing
51:46as he was walking away from that joint press conference with Zelensky.
51:49Oh, yes, I know the question. Yeah.
51:50So I just wanted to clarify,
51:52President Biden has ruled out any type of commutation
51:54or reduced sentence for Senator Biden?
51:56Yes, he has.
51:57Thank you, ma'am.
51:58Karine, is there anything inappropriate
52:01when a reporter asks a question about Gaza at an event
52:04where the president wants to focus on Ukraine or another subject?
52:07So, look, I'll say this.
52:08I think, and you kind of are stating it in your question,
52:13the president, if you think about what happened when he walked,
52:18right before he walked to the podium
52:20and what was done in front of all of your colleagues,
52:23all of you, the world,
52:25was that they signed a security agreement,
52:28and which was incredibly important.
52:31And so, for the president, as he's standing to his right,
52:36the president Zelensky is standing to his right,
52:38they're talking about,
52:40obviously, a war that's been going on,
52:42Russia's aggression into Ukraine
52:44that's been going on for more than two years.
52:47In his mind, right, it's like,
52:48okay, there is an important bilateral press conference,
52:53if you will, currently happening with a president
52:56that is fighting for their freedoms,
52:58fighting for their democracy.
52:59So in his mind, the focus should be on that.
53:03But we've seen many press conferences
53:05where other questions are asked, and he answers them.
53:08And even in saying that, and what he said,
53:11he still took the answer.
53:12He still, obviously, took the question and answered it.
53:16But that is how he's thinking.
53:18President Zelensky, standing to his right,
53:20they just signed an important security agreement.
53:24That is going to be critical to the people of Ukraine
53:26as they have been fighting this aggression by Russia.
53:30And so that's it.
53:32He respects the freedom of the press.
53:35He does. I wouldn't read too much into it,
53:37but that is, no, I just know there isn't,
53:41that is what he was thinking in that moment, in that time.
53:45You know, there is an important moment
53:48that was developing in front of everyone,
53:50and that's kind of what he was hoping the focus would be on.
53:53And just a quick follow on the video you were talking about.
53:56There were two instances in recent days
53:57where leaders, former President Obama
53:59and George Maloney of Italy,
54:01they physically put hands on the president to guide him
54:03and show him, give stage directions.
54:06Are they doing that on their own,
54:07or has anybody asked them to run the show like that?
54:10First of all, let me spoke to the most recent, right?
54:14As we saw on Saturday, President Obama put,
54:17President Obama's office put out a statement,
54:20so I would refer you to that statement,
54:22about what was being accused in those, by others.
54:27And he said this did not happen in the sense
54:29of what people were saying they were seeing, right?
54:31Or what was being falsely reported that they were seeing.
54:36Let's not forget, President Obama,
54:38President Biden have a relationship.
54:40They are friends. They're like family to each other.
54:43And I think that's what you saw.
54:45You saw the president put his hand behind,
54:47on the back of President Biden, and they walked off the stage,
54:53after taking questions, or at an event,
54:58taking questions from Jimmy Kimmel.
55:00That is what you saw.
55:02But I would refer you to President Obama's office
55:05statement, they talked about this, they discussed this,
55:08and they came out with it pretty quickly.
55:10And Maloney, you wanted to say something about Maloney?
55:12Maloney, I don't have anything,
55:14I don't know specifically what happened with Maloney.
55:17The wandering, the parachutes.
55:19Oh, I mean, look, that was, as I said,
55:22it was a cheap, you know, a cheap fake.
55:25That was definitely a cheap fake.
55:26It was. This was widely fact-checked.
55:30That video was widely fact-checked,
55:32including by conservative media,
55:35on what happened, what occurred.
55:38The president walked over to give a thumbs-up to divers
55:41who had just landed right in front of him.
55:44And if you run that tape a little bit longer,
55:45you would see what was happening,
55:48what the president was actually doing.
55:50And it is a cheap fake.
55:52That is what.
55:53And he's totally normal?
55:55What I'm saying is, this is a president, right?
55:57Instead, let's step back for a second.
56:00Instead of, and I said this moments ago,
56:03instead of Republicans, you know,
56:04focusing on the president's performance in office
56:07and what he's been able to accomplish,
56:09his actual record, they do these cheap fakes.
56:13They are cheap fakes.
56:14And you're asking me about the Maloney,
56:16you're asking me what happened.
56:17That video, that video, that video was,
56:20okay, let's talk about Juneteenth.
56:23The president stood there, listening to the music,
56:27and he didn't dance.
56:28Excuse me, I did not know not dancing was a mental,
56:32it was a health issue.
56:34That is a weird thing to actually flag,
56:38when if you look at the people who were around him,
56:41if you look at the expanded video
56:43of the people who were around him,
56:45they were not, there were some folks
56:47who were not dancing either.
56:48And that has been fact-checked.
56:50I mean, just because you're standing up,
56:52listening to music, and not dancing,
56:54that is not a health issue.
56:56That is just not a health issue.
56:57The majority of American voters
56:59who are telling pollsters repeatedly for years now
57:02that they have serious concerns
57:04about this president's cognitive fitness
57:07are being misled by cheap fake videos?
57:09I'm saying that there have been, in recent weeks,
57:12there have been cheap fakes videos
57:13that have been fact-checked.
57:15They've been fact-checked by conservative media as well
57:19to say that these videos are false.
57:23They're purposefully being altered.
57:27That is, look.
57:31The president has done more in his three years,
57:34three and a half years as president,
57:36than most modern-day president,
57:37in what he's been able to deliver.
57:39He's able to do that because he knows what he's doing.
57:44He knows how to deliver for the American people.
57:46He's able to make sure that we attack a climate crisis
57:50with the Inflation Reduction Act.
57:51He's made sure that we're able to create 15 million jobs,
57:54800,000 manufacturing jobs.
57:56He was able to make sure that unemployment went down.
58:00He was able to make sure that we are able to have Medicaid
58:04actually able to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies,
58:08something that no other president has been able to do.
58:12This president has been able to do.
58:14I think that tells you everything that you need to do
58:16by looking at his record.
58:17And what you're seeing right now is Republicans,
58:20instead of talking what I just listed about,
58:22what I just talked about,
58:24they're really diving into these cheap fake videos.
58:28And it's in bad faith. That's what I'm saying.
58:30What they're doing is pure bad faith,
58:32and it's been fact-checked by many,
58:34including conservative fact-checkers.
58:36I got to go ahead. Go ahead, Naomi.
58:38Thanks, Karine. Just on another topic,
58:40does the White House have a comment on press secretary
58:42or former press secretary Jen Psaki's testimony
58:46that's upcoming in front of the Foreign Affairs Committee
58:49about Afghanistan?
58:50I don't have any comment at this time.
58:52Sorry, you sort of said last that next week
58:55you are going to commemorate the anniversary of Dobbs.
58:58Are there any measures that we should expect?
59:01So, don't have anything to read out at this current moment,
59:04but obviously the president and the vice president
59:07are going to continue to talk about the Dobbs decision
59:10and how that's affected millions,
59:11tens of millions of women across the country
59:15and the devastating impact,
59:16the devastating impact that we see.
59:18Once we have more to share, certainly we will.
59:20I just don't have anything at this time.
59:22All right. Thanks, everybody. I'll see you tomorrow.
59:24Bye, guys.