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Is Biden OK? 48 Days Into Presidency and Not a Single Press Conference

Biden, Salud, Rueda de prensa

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The 46th president of the United States, Joe Biden, has yet to hold his first press conference despite 48 days in office. More recent presidents, such as Donald Trump, Barack Obama and George W. Bush, held formal media conferences long before Biden.

“During previous administrations, it took former President Trump 28 days to hold a press conference, only 21 days for former President Obama and 34 days for former President George W. Bush,” Fox News reported, one of the media outlets that pointed to the fact that Biden has yet to address the media in a formal setting.

Since coming to the White House, he has taken a radical path to go against the legacy of his predecessor. Biden has signed controversial executive orders on climate change, abortion, migration, also related to the World Health Organization (WHO), gender and race issues. He cancelled projects that destroyed jobs, the Keystone pipeline is proof of that, and is about to sign the second largest stimulus plan in U.S. history.

While Biden may not be the most charismatic and hyperactive of men, since being sworn in, he has carried out a series of measures and policies that are radically changing the course of the country and will have a direct influence on the daily lives of Americans. But none of the issues, especially the most controversial ones, have been touched upon or questioned in a press conference with him.

However, the White House Press Secretary, Jen Psaki, promised that there will be a conference before the media by the end of March, but did not give an exact date. She said this after being asked by reporters when would there be a press conference with Biden.

Jen Psaki, White House Press Secretary, stated that Biden will hold a press conference later this month. (Image: EFE)

Psaki also noted that while Biden has not yet held a press conference, he has answered questions from the media about “40 times”. She then sarcastically commented about the number of times reporters will see the president: “I don’t know if they’ll see him more than 40 times a month.”

“The President answers questions several times a week. In fact, he answered twice yesterday,” Psaki said last Monday. “We are looking forward to holding a full press conference. We are working to set a definite date for it and as soon as we do we will let everyone know.”

The Press Secretary added that Biden “came in during a historic crisis,” and that she believes “the American people understand that his energy and attention has been focused on securing enough vaccines (…) and pushing for an American rescue plan.”

Despite the press secretary’s explanations, a question arises: is President Biden in good health?

What’s wrong with Joe Biden?

In his speeches and pronouncements, Biden has had strange moments where he has forgotten names, facts, and even what he was saying. At the same time, his ability to express himself is a cause for concern, because he is not clear when he tries to explain personal or government positions.

Earlier this week, for example, he forgot the name of the person he appointed to run the Pentagon, Lloyd Austin. The President referred to the Secretary of Defense as “the guy who runs that team there”.

On another occasion, the President attempted to give an explanation for the genocide against the UYghurs perpetrated by the Chinese regime. Biden was so confused that, at one point, he appeared to justify Xi Jinping’s regime by explaining that “Culturally there are different norms.”

These rants or moments of dim-wittedness have been relatively constant. Perhaps not always, but enough to cast doubt on Biden’s mental health, even from the time of the election campaign.

The question arises: is Biden’s failure to hold his first press conference as President of the United States related to these problems?

CNN also wonders about the President’s first press conference

Certainly 48 days in office and no first formal press conference is a bit odd, thought provoking, even for CNN.

For example, Jake Tapper, who works for the nerwork tweeted on March 3rd that “an analysis of the last 100 years shows that President Biden’s 15 most recent predecessors held a formal solo press conference within 33 days of taking office. Biden has not and it is day 42.”

Neither to reporters nor to the Congress

But not only has Biden not seen the media, he didn’t even hold the expected and customary Joint Session of Congress.

Fox News sees it this way: “Biden also has yet to address a Joint Session of Congress, another staple of most administrations’ first terms. Typically, presidents give their first address to Congress in February.”

Psaki was also asked why Biden has not yet addressed the nation’s lawmakers, and quickly insisted that “It’s not a snub” and that they are working to move forward with a session. She also did not give a specific date.

“We are in the midst of a global pandemic,” the press secretary said. “We intend to have the President offer a joint session (…) but we don’t have a date for it.”

Biden, rueda de prensa
Biden has not given his first press conference nor did he address Congress in a joint session. (Image: EFE)

What the President will do this coming Thursday, March 11th, is a speech to commemorate the anniversary of the closures caused in the wake of the coronavirus (WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11, 2020).

“The President will deliver his first prime-time address to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the COVID-19 closure on Thursday,” Psaki said. “He will talk about the many sacrifices the American people have made over the last year, and the severe loss that communities and families across the country have suffered.”

It now remains to be hoped that in his upcoming speeches Biden will not continue to cast doubt on his health status and his abilities to serve as President of the United States.

Emmanuel Alejandro Rondón is a journalist at El American specializing in the areas of American politics and media analysis // Emmanuel Alejandro Rondón es periodista de El American especializado en las áreas de política americana y análisis de medios de comunicación.

Contacto: [email protected]

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