Biden hasn’t been out of the presidential race for that long. But now he’s nowhere to be found.
And Joe Biden went missing and now Washington, D.C. is in total chaos.
President Biden was briefly spotted on Monday walking from Marine One to the Oval Office, ignoring reporters’ questions. The 81-year-old president has since vanished from the public eye.
A lack of public appearances has become routine for Biden since he withdrew from the 2024 race, handing the reins to Vice President Kamala Harris. This absence comes amid looming threats from Iran towards Israel.
When Fox News correspondent David Spunt questioned why the American public hasn’t heard from the president this week, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre responded, “We just put out two readouts today.”
Spunt pressed further, asking, “Can we expect to see him this week? Because I know you guys have been putting out the schedule. You know, we’ve been getting it the night before,” during Tuesday’s press briefing.
Jean-Pierre’s response was less than reassuring.
“So we are in a different time,” she said. “As I’ve said many times before, and you will get to see the president, that I can say. Look, it is certainly the president’s priority, to make sure that we do everything that we can, to protect our national security, right?”
She mentioned that Biden’s focus was to “de-escalate tensions,” referencing the two readouts indicating that Biden spoke with leaders of Jordan, Qatar, and Egypt. However, her remarks provided little clarity on Biden’s conspicuous absence.
“From that readout that we just put out, I was asked about the cease-fire deal and what the president – that last line – that was pointed out to me. That is something that the president has been focused on – getting that done. I don’t have anything beyond what we put out, but we’re monitoring the situation closely,” Jean-Pierre said.
While Biden declared a state of emergency in Florida and South Carolina ahead of Tropical Storm Debby, he remained unseen as several U.S. personnel were injured in a rocket attack at a military base in Iraq.
Top U.S. national security leaders urged calm in the Middle East, pressing Israel, Iran, and others to avoid escalating the conflict. Yet, the administration’s actions, including moving more troops to the region and threatening retaliation, suggest a growing threat.
“It’s urgent that everyone in the region take stock of the situation, understand the risk of miscalculation, and make decisions that will calm tensions, not exacerbate them,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said after a meeting with Australian leaders at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin emphasized the severity of the situation following an attack on U.S. forces in Iraq by an Iranian-backed militia, which injured seven.
“Make no mistake, the United States will not tolerate attacks on our personnel in the region,” Austin warned. “And we remain ready to deploy on short notice to meet the evolving threats to our security, our partners, or our interests.”
Despite rising economic concerns, Biden last week claimed to have “cured the economy” just days before global stocks plummeted on Monday.
In a new case disclosed by the Justice Department, Asif Merchant, a Pakistani man with alleged ties to Iran, was charged in a plot to carry out political assassinations on U.S. soil, including potentially against former President Trump. When questioned about this, Jean-Pierre downplayed any connection to a recent assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, stating there was no evidence linking the defendant to that incident.
“It’s an ongoing law enforcement DOJ indictment, so I’m going to be really mindful,” she said.
“But we have said many times that we have been tracking Iranian threats against former politicians. We’ve been very clear about that. These threats arise from Iran’s desire to seek revenge for the killing of Qassem Soleimani. We consider this a national and homeland security matter of the highest priority – the highest priority.”
Jean-Pierre claimed the administration has taken a “comprehensive response” to these threats, involving significant resource investment, disrupting involved individuals, enhancing protective measures, engaging with foreign partners, and directly warning Iran.
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
