On Thursday, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and Director of the Office of Public Engagement Stephen Benjamin held a White House press briefing.
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NewsTranscript
00:00 [ Inaudible ]
00:06 >> Wait for, I don't want to call her out, but.
00:10 [ Laughter ]
00:13 >> Madam President.
00:14 >> Madam President, that's right.
00:15 [ Laughter ]
00:17 >> Just trying to be good.
00:18 Not call out people.
00:21 All right, good afternoon.
00:22 As President Biden said during his campaign, no one should be in jail
00:26 for using or possessing marijuana.
00:29 That's why in 2022, President Biden requested that DOJ
00:33 and HHS review how marijuana is scheduled under federal law.
00:38 Today, the administration is taking a major step toward reclassifying
00:42 marijuana from a schedule one to a schedule three drug
00:46 under federal law.
00:48 If finalized, marijuana will no longer hold the higher level
00:53 classification it currently holds over fentanyl
00:57 and meth drugs driving our nation's overdose epidemic.
01:01 And it will remove burdensome longstanding barriers
01:04 to critical research.
01:06 This announcement builds on the work President Biden has already done
01:10 to pardon a record number of federal offenses
01:13 for simply possessing marijuana.
01:18 His categorical pardon for federal offenses of simple possession
01:22 in October 2022 and December 2023 lifted barriers to housing,
01:27 small business loans, and more for thousands of Americans.
01:32 The reality is while white, black,
01:34 and brown people use marijuana at similar rates,
01:38 black and brown people have been arrested, prosecuted,
01:41 and convicted at disproportionately higher rates.
01:45 The President's actions today further his commitment
01:49 to reverse longstanding injustices and to right historic wrongs.
01:55 Next, I want to talk about as part of our series
01:58 of engagements this week, we are marking the 70th anniversary
02:02 of the landmark Supreme Court decision, Brown v. Board of Education.
02:07 Today, President Biden met with plaintiffs
02:09 and their family members at the White House.
02:12 Among those the President met with include Adrian Jennings Bennett,
02:17 a plaintiff in one of the original cases, Boiling v. Sharp
02:21 that was argued alongside Brown v. Board, and Cheryl Brown Henderson,
02:26 one of the daughters of the lead plaintiff, Oliver L. Brown
02:31 in the Brown v. Board.
02:34 The delegation represents litigants from the five cases
02:37 that were combined under Brown v. Board of Education
02:40 and heard before the Supreme Court,
02:43 as well as the NAACP President, Derek Johnson, and other leaders
02:47 of the NAACP were critical in fighting for these
02:50 and other hard-won freedoms for black Americans.
02:55 The President was proud to participate in this meeting
02:57 and honor the legacy of those who paved the way for progress
03:01 and hard-fought rights for black Americans,
03:04 while highlighting his vision for how we must continue
03:07 to build on these freedoms.
03:09 Joining us today, as you can see from my right, to say more
03:13 and make some news about this administration's work
03:16 to advance racial equity and opportunity for black Americans,
03:20 a senior advisor to the President and Director of the Office
03:23 of Public Engagement, the former Mayor of Columbia, South Carolina,
03:27 Mayor Steve Benjamin, thank you so much for coming again.
03:30 >> Thank you, Kareem.
03:31 Thank you so much.
03:32 Thank you, my friend.
03:34 I miss being Mayor, y'all.
03:36 I think it was a much simpler existence at times.
03:41 Today at the White House, as Kareem mentioned,
03:44 we're recognizing, commemorating the 70th anniversary
03:48 of the landmark Supreme Court decision,
03:50 Brown versus Topeka, Kansas, Board of Education,
03:53 becoming the law of the land, upending decades
03:56 of discrimination since 1896.
04:00 President Biden and Vice President Harris will continue their
04:03 longstanding effort to honor the legacy of those who paved the way
04:07 for progress and hard-fought rights for African Americans.
04:10 This morning, he met with the plaintiffs and their families,
04:13 as Kareem mentioned, in the Oval Office.
04:16 During the meeting, he commended them for changing our nation
04:19 for the better and committed to continuing his fight
04:22 to move us closer to the promise of America.
04:25 Families from each of the five different cases
04:27 that were consolidated in Brown v. Board were present today.
04:32 Tomorrow, the President's going to deliver remarks
04:34 at the National Museum of African American History and Culture
04:37 in Washington, D.C. here.
04:39 He and the Vice President, a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority
04:43 incorporated, will also meet with the leaders of the Divine Nine,
04:47 historically black fraternities and sororities.
04:51 On Sunday, May 19th, the President's going
04:53 to deliver the commencement address
04:54 at the 140th Morehouse College commencement in Atlanta, Georgia,
04:59 where today the faculty voted to confer upon the President an
05:03 honorary degree.
05:05 President Biden and Vice President Harris, who also, as we all know,
05:09 serves as the very first HBCU graduate, first to serve
05:12 as Vice President of the United States,
05:14 they know firsthand the value of HBCUs.
05:18 And I'm proud and very pleased to announce today
05:21 that the Biden-Harris administration has invested more
05:24 than $16 billion in historically black colleges and universities,
05:28 which is unprecedented, a record amount.
05:31 President Biden has also canceled $160 billion in student loans
05:36 for over 4 million Americans, providing significant relief
05:40 to all borrowers with significant impact on black borrowers.
05:44 Increased the amount of maximum Pell Grants as well by $900,
05:48 the largest increase in a decade, helping students from low
05:51 and middle income backgrounds pursue their dreams
05:54 of a post-secondary education.
05:56 Nearly 60% of African-American students are federally --
05:58 are federal financial aid recipients, with an average award
06:01 of nearly $5,000 per student.
06:03 This is only a snapshot of what this administration has delivered
06:06 as President Biden and Vice President Harris have leveraged the full
06:09 force of the federal government to advance racial justice
06:12 and build economic opportunity since their first day in office.
06:15 As a result of their leadership,
06:16 black household family wealth is up 60%.
06:19 More than 2.5 million jobs have been created for African-Americans.
06:23 And in 2023, we hit the lowest black unemployment data on record.
06:28 And that remains consistently low, as we've seen across the country.
06:32 Unemployment under 4% for the entire nation for 27 months running.
06:38 Very happy to be here with you.
06:40 More than happy to take your questions, I think.
06:43 >> Thank you.
06:44 >> Thank you so much for being here.
06:47 So you recently met with students and faculty at Morehouse College.
06:51 Can you just talk to us about the concerns they shared
06:53 and how you responded?
06:54 >> Sure. And I'll do my best to be clear and transparent,
06:59 because I also promised the students I would keep our conversation
07:02 as closely as I possibly could.
07:03 But you know, every day, as Director of Public Engagement here,
07:07 we get out across the country.
07:09 I try to spend at least two days of every week on the road somewhere.
07:13 Doing what my grandmother and other loved ones might say,
07:17 God gave you two ears and one mouth for a reason.
07:19 You listen twice as much as you talk.
07:21 And really wanted to lean in with these young leaders
07:23 to hear what they wanted to hear on their very special commencement day.
07:27 Many of you know that four years ago,
07:29 many of them were denied commencement because of the pandemic.
07:32 The greatest pandemic since 1918.
07:34 And wanted to make sure that the President's goal
07:37 to center these students and have a chance to discuss the real issues
07:42 of the world that they might have to address
07:44 as leaders going forward was important.
07:47 So we sat there.
07:48 We talked about everything.
07:49 I mean, we talked about the status of the world.
07:50 Certainly, many of them want to talk about the Middle East and war.
07:54 We talked about reconnecting communities
07:57 and the amazing $160 million going in just up the street.
08:01 The Stitch Project in Atlanta working to undo some of the damage done
08:06 by previous infrastructure investments
08:08 and how it's reconnecting in a very reparative and restorative way.
08:12 The Sweet Harbor and community.
08:14 We talked about wealth creation.
08:16 Each and every one of these young men who I will say were exceptional.
08:20 Five students, all graduating seniors, going off to do great things
08:25 at fine institutions and great places to work.
08:28 Four faculty members and two administrators shared individually,
08:33 one by one, the things that were important to them to try and hear.
08:36 But the common thread was they wanted
08:37 to make sure we were centering the young people.
08:39 And the President did that on Sunday.
08:43 So, but we talked on any range of issues.
08:45 I have a college-age daughter who also attends an HBCU
08:49 and a 17-year-old as of today.
08:51 Happy birthday, Jordan Grace Benjamin.
08:53 Who is plotting world domination and takeover as we speak.
08:58 She's a real politician in the family.
09:00 But their concerns and interest areas were not dissimilar
09:06 from the two teenagers who live in our household.
09:09 >> And do you or the President have any concerns
09:11 about the President's address overshadowing the commencement
09:15 as we've heard from some students publicly?
09:17 >> Sure. No, obviously, I think what's going to be most important are the
09:21 words that the President articulates.
09:23 And I know that he feels very deeply about what this means
09:27 to these young men.
09:29 And I say young men, many of you know
09:31 that Morehouse is a unique institution.
09:33 Some of you are familiar with the legacy of the great school.
09:35 It's probably the only place in the country,
09:37 if not the world right now,
09:39 where that many amazingly talented young men are being trained
09:42 for leadership in the world at one time.
09:45 Young black men know that the goal will be to make sure that we use this
09:49 as an opportunity to continue to elevate the amazing work that's been
09:52 done at Morehouse over the last century and a half.
09:56 >> Yeah, I -- I do wonder what kind of reception do you,
10:00 having been there, expect the President to receive at Morehouse?
10:04 Also, does he plan to have any direct engagement
10:07 with students or faculty there?
10:09 A lot of them that I've talked to have said, you know,
10:12 we don't just want a campaign speech or a speech at us, but we want
10:15 to be able to talk policy or talk about their issues.
10:18 >> Sure. I'm sure the President will have a chance to engage
10:20 with faculty, staff, and students while he's there.
10:24 And I know that he looks forward to it.
10:27 Did I answer that question?
10:29 >> Yeah. Well, the first one, what kind of --
10:31 having talked to students at Morehouse,
10:32 what kind of reception do you expect him to receive?
10:34 >> Sure. You know, it's so important to realize
10:37 that no community is monolithic.
10:40 Even some of the range of opinions that we received last Friday
10:46 and that I've heard from speaking with literally dozens and dozens
10:50 of folks just about this speech over the last several days,
10:55 people have different thoughts about what they might want to hear.
10:57 I do know that the President, again, is very focused
11:00 on centering these young men and what this transition
11:04 in life means to them.
11:05 So we listened very closely.
11:08 We received those messages, and we shared those with the President
11:10 and his speech writing team.
11:12 >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor.
11:14 Happy birthday to your daughter.
11:15 >> Thank you.
11:17 >> Does the President share the President
11:19 of Morehouse College's belief
11:21 that the graduation ceremony should be halted
11:25 if there are protests or disruptions?
11:29 >> You know, I'm going to let Morehouse --
11:31 handle Morehouse and let Dr. Thomas, who's been wonderful to work with,
11:36 as we prepare for the commencement,
11:38 I'll let him speak for Morehouse College.
11:41 The President's been very clear.
11:43 I mean, we live in an amazing country where you have three estates
11:46 of government, and you have a fourth estate
11:48 that personifies the importance of the right to free speech.
11:52 And you do it well.
11:54 That right to free speech extends to even those who wish to protest,
11:58 and he respects that.
12:00 And he makes the point to lean in when there are protesters
12:03 in the very same space.
12:04 So we respect that, I think, as long as there are peaceful protests
12:08 that don't disrupt the amazing moment that is for each
12:12 of those graduates there today.
12:14 I think we'll all consider it a success.
12:16 >> Did the White House ever consider canceling the speech once you
12:20 learned that there likely would be protests?
12:24 >> No, not that I know of, but I'll defer that to someone else.
12:26 No, ma'am.
12:27 >> Hi, Mr. Mayor.
12:29 Thank you.
12:31 Recent polls have Joe Biden
12:32 and Donald Trump neck and neck among black voters,
12:35 hoping to stay away from the hatchet.
12:37 But do you think that the President's message is resonating
12:40 with black voters?
12:41 >> Well, you have no responsibility to stay away
12:42 from the hatchet, but I do.
12:44 So I appreciate that.
12:46 As I mentioned, I spend a great deal of time on the road.
12:50 I mean, this is a wonderful citadel of democracy,
12:54 the D.C., the heart of the republic.
12:58 But getting out and listening to people and hearing the impact
13:02 of President Biden's and Vice President Harris's policies
13:06 on helping change their lives inform my opinion as to
13:11 where just every day Americans stand.
13:14 We're not going to talk politics.
13:15 And I've had a chance to be, gosh, in Arizona, Nevada, Illinois,
13:24 South Carolina, Georgia, New York, New Mexico, Illinois, Michigan,
13:29 Wisconsin, Georgia, just in the last several months,
13:34 and listen to people talk about the impact of amazing things
13:38 like criminal justice reforms and social reforms.
13:41 The President's on how, in fact, creating access to capital
13:45 and creating economic opportunity leading
13:47 to not just these precipitously low unemployment rates,
13:51 but the greatest increase in number of black-owned businesses in 30 years.
13:55 How we're not just talking about history like we are doing today
13:59 with the Brown and related case defendants,
14:03 but how indeed the President's making history every single day.
14:06 That's a feedback I get from people.
14:08 And I think we're going to focus, continue on making history
14:11 on this side of the table by just leading through good government
14:15 and the leadership of the President and the Vice President.
14:18 >> Is there a connection between the investments that you talked
14:21 about today in the HBU community and the things you've been hearing
14:26 from your travels, some of the concerns that have been expressed
14:30 by students and communities across the country,
14:32 especially in the last several months of the Israel-Hamas war?
14:36 Is there a link between the investments
14:38 and what you've been learning?
14:39 >> Sure. No.
14:40 The $16 billion number that we're releasing today is new.
14:43 It's an updated number, but many of you may remember
14:45 that the previous total shared publicly was $7 billion,
14:49 which is also a record long before the last several months.
14:54 This is consistent with the President's very clear commitment
14:57 from day one of his administration to making sure
14:59 that not only do we declare that equity is a central theme,
15:05 sacrosanct to the core of this administration,
15:09 but that we actually put in place real ladders to opportunity
15:13 as he seeks to build an economy from the middle out and bottom up.
15:19 I mean, so this is nothing new.
15:21 This is entirely consistent with the work
15:23 that the President has been doing in day one,
15:25 a whole of government approach, a whole society approach,
15:28 that's yielding fruit.
15:32 >> And when you talk about this kind of investment and you're meeting
15:35 with groups of students who feel frustration,
15:38 does it make a difference?
15:40 >> So I will cross the line maybe back
15:42 to the first question just briefly.
15:45 As we went through, it's always important, again,
15:47 if you're going to listen, you have to listen.
15:50 You can't come in talking.
15:51 And you listen, you receive where people are,
15:55 and you get into real public narrative.
15:57 The story of you, the story of me, and kind of where we go from here.
16:01 And when you see opportunities to share these successes,
16:04 and I'm not going to sit here and go through a tick list,
16:06 but in every single corner of American society,
16:10 you think about the President's leadership,
16:11 the greatest pandemic since 1918,
16:15 the greatest economic disruption many
16:17 of us expected maybe since 1929, the greatest social unrest.
16:20 We saw after the murder of George Floyd since 1968, all wrapped
16:24 up into a moment that post-Charlottesville propelled this
16:30 genuinely good man to decide he wanted to help lead his country.
16:33 That's all part of what has become the Biden-Harris agenda.
16:38 And they've been leading from the front.
16:40 As I go through those issues, and I did it last Friday
16:43 with those amazing young leaders, heads were nodding.
16:47 People were very much appreciative of receiving the information,
16:52 and I know we're planning to go out and share it with others.
16:55 >> Mr. Mayor, I just wanted to circle back to the meeting today
16:59 in the Oval Office.
17:00 The people who were there with President Biden came out and spoke
17:03 with us briefly afterwards, and a few of them mentioned the work
17:06 that still needs to be done and how schools are still,
17:09 in many parts of the country, still effectively segregated.
17:13 Did the President have anything to say about that in terms
17:15 of continuing work, and did he respond to a parent ask
17:19 that a holiday be made out of the anniversary
17:22 of the Brown v. Sephora?
17:23 >> That request came up in our meeting before the meeting as well
17:27 from one of the families of the litigants.
17:30 I mean, it's important to note
17:32 that the first major national holiday established in decades,
17:36 Juneteenth, the President, that's his legislation.
17:41 The establishment of the Emmett Till
17:44 and Mamie Till Mobley Memorial in Illinois and Mississippi,
17:48 also because of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris's leadership,
17:52 the passing of the Emmett Till anti-lynching bill.
17:54 Even some of the tough things left to do, hopefully the passage
18:00 of the George Floyd Justice and Policing Act someday,
18:03 each of the elements of those bills are part
18:05 of the President's executive order as it relates
18:07 to federal law enforcement agencies.
18:11 In his conversation, and I'm not sure one
18:16 of the speakers they may have mentioned,
18:19 the President also talked to her mother,
18:21 a 103-year-old litigant as well by phone.
18:27 There's an acknowledgment every day with our President
18:31 that we're not where we ought to be,
18:34 but we're certainly not where we used to be.
18:36 And every moment you have to celebrate the successes we've had
18:41 and celebrating the diversity of this country
18:43 and how we move forward together is a moment to celebrate.
18:47 Still a lot of work to be done, but it's only going to happen
18:50 with truly inspired leadership like we're getting
18:52 from President Biden, Vice President Harris.
18:55 >> Thank you, and thank you, Mayor Benjamin.
18:57 The Morehouse commencement ceremony has been described
19:00 as solemn, steeped in tradition.
19:02 You just described it as unique.
19:04 And I'm wondering how the nature of the ceremony factored
19:06 into the White House's decision
19:08 to have President Biden speak there at a time
19:11 when there's volatility on campuses nationwide.
19:13 >> Sure. Morehouse and all the other HBCs, I served as a trustee
19:19 at Benedict College, another proud historically black college
19:24 in Columbia, South Carolina.
19:25 Again, my daughter also attends, she'll tell you,
19:30 because she wears Spellman on her chest all day, every day.
19:33 She is a Spellman woman.
19:36 Morehouse is unique, but I dare say that every institution
19:40 of higher learning is unique.
19:42 And HBCUs, yes, are solemn places.
19:45 Most, almost every one of them, but most of them birth
19:48 after one of the darkest periods in world history,
19:52 and certainly the darkest period in American history.
19:56 So when you step onto those grounds, you're always stepping
19:58 into someplace special.
20:01 The President was invited to come to Morehouse,
20:04 voted on by the faculty today to indeed receive an honorary
20:09 doctorate, which will be conferred on Sunday.
20:11 And I think, yeah, it's a special place.
20:14 And having a chance to speak very directly to this very unique group
20:18 of talented young men and women, young men and their families,
20:22 who are going to go out and help change the world, yeah,
20:25 I'm sure it did factor in his decision
20:26 to make the move down there.
20:28 >> The President of the United States receives multiple
20:30 invitations to speak at multiple universities every single year.
20:33 And I'm wondering if you think that even with the possibility
20:36 of protests, that there's an expectation
20:38 of potentially a calmer reception at Morehouse than elsewhere.
20:42 >> I'll tell you, Morehouse is an amazingly special
20:45 and dignified place.
20:46 Yes, he does receive a lot of invitations,
20:48 but this President has also been very intentional over the course
20:50 of his career and certainly his presidency
20:52 to always make sure he makes time to go to HBCUs.
20:54 He delivered the commencement address at Howard last year.
20:57 He's been at the SC State's commencement address.
20:59 He's obviously spoke to the President of Delaware State,
21:02 where President Biden will tell you
21:04 that he got his political start decades ago,
21:07 spoke to Dr. Allen today.
21:09 And obviously, it's special to him.
21:12 And he realizes that not only a speech, but more importantly,
21:17 the $16 billion in resources to support this amazing,
21:22 amazingly talented group of young leaders,
21:25 that he doesn't just talk the talk, he walks the walk.
21:28 >> Okay, let's start wrapping it up.
21:29 Go ahead.
21:31 >> A question on the Oval Office meeting and then wanted to follow
21:34 up on something else you said.
21:35 Had the President met with the families involved
21:38 in the Delaware case prior to today's Oval Office meeting,
21:40 or was this his first time meeting them?
21:42 >> You know, it was interesting, and obviously,
21:44 this is my first time in the same space with each of them.
21:47 And he spent a significant amount of time with the Delaware families.
21:51 One of the ladies, a grand --
21:56 a daughter of one of the litigants indicated
21:58 that the President had spent several moments on their couch
22:03 over the course of his career.
22:05 So he was very familiar with the case.
22:06 He knows the case, but he didn't engage
22:08 with the families in the past.
22:09 >> And then on the question of enthusiasm for the President
22:12 in the African-American community, what do you chalk that lethargy up to?
22:19 >> You know, I will tell you, again, I can only speak, Francesca,
22:22 to my experience, and when I get out there and we talk to people
22:28 about the amazing successes of the administration and the leadership
22:31 of the President and Vice President, people are psyched.
22:34 I mean, they're happy about these meaningful developments
22:40 that are helping change the lives of people all across this country.
22:44 We've got to make sure -- and that's a campaign job.
22:48 Our job here is making sure we share the news and hopefully,
22:50 in partnership with each and every one of you, that the news gets
22:53 out to all the places in this very different world in which we live
22:57 and which people receive their news.
22:58 So I'm looking over the -- you're not going to throw your questions, Francesca?
23:03 >> No, I just wanted to ask, are you saying that you distrust the polling
23:07 that shows the President's support among the African-American community
23:10 is lower than it was this time four years ago, Francesca?
23:13 >> I can honestly tell you that I don't follow the polls.
23:16 >> Okay.
23:17 >> I'm [inaudible] Brown v. Board not only ended separate but equal,
23:21 but it was a re-operation for the Civil Rights Movement.
23:24 Similarly, there's a different movement happening
23:27 after the Supreme Court ruling in Harvard
23:29 versus student fair admissions and affirmative action
23:32 that has created this sort of seemingly this anti-DEI,
23:36 anti-equity movement that has impacted schools, businesses,
23:39 and even this administration's ability to implement some of its policies.
23:43 Does the President believe that he has leaned in enough on this issue?
23:46 How much can we expect him to speak to that in tomorrow's speech?
23:49 >> Sure. Well, he has one speech tomorrow at the NAACP
23:52 and then obviously has several speeches this weekend.
23:57 The President's unapologetic about the --
24:01 not only the principle of equity being a core value to him,
24:07 but also his administration.
24:09 But he continues to make sure that consistent
24:13 with his very first executive order, that every piece of policy
24:16 that comes out of the administration, as well as each
24:21 of the cornerstone laws and acts, the infrastructure bill,
24:26 the Inflation Reduction Act, the CHIPS bill,
24:28 and also the American Rescue Plan, that each
24:31 of those pillars have the same core of equity.
24:35 And it's led to record amounts of contracting,
24:37 I think $76 billion this past year for small minority-owned businesses,
24:42 record amounts in the black community
24:43 and the Latino community as well.
24:46 So he's not stepping back on his commitment to equity and continues
24:51 to lean in and expects his administration to do the same.
24:56 >> Okay, go ahead, Ebony.
24:57 We got one last question.
24:58 >> Okay. I want to follow up on just two comments.
25:00 One, you just mentioned the 76 billion
25:04 in contracts for minority businesses.
25:07 But can you talk about what that looks
25:10 like for black businesses specifically?
25:13 >> 12.1 billion.
25:14 >> Wow. 12.1 billion.
25:16 And then my second question is, earlier you were talking
25:20 about that we aren't where we want to be, but we're not
25:24 where we used to be, we're not where we want to be.
25:27 Specifically, when the question was asked, what are the things
25:32 or are there any orders or policies that --
25:35 executive orders that we can see coming from the President
25:37 that can address some of these inequities in education?
25:41 When we were at -- earlier, I was talking
25:43 about how we are seeing resegregation in some
25:46 of the schools.
25:47 How can the administration or is it --
25:50 what could we see from the administration to reverse that?
25:54 Because there's been a reversal in some -- in many areas.
25:57 >> Yeah. I'll try to make the answer as concise as possible.
26:03 But as you can tell, I believe very much so in data, in good data.
26:08 You know, the challenge that we face at the height
26:12 of the pandemic, recognizing the --
26:17 still the way that most of our education systems
26:20 across the country are funded.
26:22 Property taxes, local resources, not necessarily dedicated
26:27 at the level that they ought to receive, even in sometimes
26:30 in the same town or the same state,
26:32 can make things particularly challenged.
26:35 The work that the President led on, along with the Vice President,
26:40 to make sure that we're investing not only in HBCUs,
26:43 record amounts per day, but also under the American Rescue Plan,
26:46 Title I schools are receiving $130 billion in funding for maintenance
26:51 of equity requirements, making sure we're protecting high-poverty
26:55 schools from deductions in state and local funding.
26:59 I mean, it's what he does every day.
27:01 When I talk about not being where we used to be and also not being
27:05 where we ought to be, there's this idea, and he talks about it often,
27:08 you've heard him say it a million times,
27:10 about the idea of America.
27:13 The idea is that we all aspire to be a more perfect union,
27:17 which means it's -- every once in a while, you can take big strides,
27:23 big leaps forward.
27:24 Brown v. Board was a big leap forward.
27:27 Today's announcement of $16 billion
27:29 for HBCUs is a big leap forward.
27:31 But the everyday struggles are -- that's the hard work.
27:36 That's the hard work that this President has decided
27:39 that he's going to lean into every single day.
27:42 Some days we'll take strides.
27:44 Every once in a while, you know, it's three and out.
27:46 Sometimes it's inches, but we're making progress towards
27:49 that more perfect union.
27:50 And it takes intestinal fortitude and leadership and vision of the fact
27:54 that we're stronger when we're together,
27:56 that diversity is our strength,
27:58 and it's something that the President
28:00 and Vice President Harris are very proud of.
28:02 Thank you all for having me.
28:03 All right?
28:05 >> Thank you, Mayor.
28:06 Appreciate it.
28:07 Thank you so much.
28:08 >> Thank you.
28:10 >> Okay. So we may -- oh, wait, let's give them a second.
28:15 All right.
28:16 >> Two topics if I may.
28:17 First, President Biden decided to block the release of the audio
28:22 of his interview with the special counsel.
28:24 And obviously, the letter from the White House counsel laid
28:26 out the reasons about the concerns of being used for political purposes.
28:30 But that seems to imply that the White House is concerned
28:33 that these could be politically damaging.
28:35 So why not just release them,
28:36 especially with this White House's commitment to transparency?
28:39 >> Well, for one, the transcripts, as you all know, is already out there.
28:43 I think the second piece of this, too, to note is
28:45 that the Attorney General made it clear that law enforcement files
28:49 like these need to be protected.
28:51 And so the President made his determination at the request
28:55 of the Attorney General.
28:56 I just want to make that second point that I made really clear.
28:59 The Department of Justice and the White House Counsel's Office have
29:03 provided extensive written letters, as you all know.
29:06 I'm sure some of you have read this on this issue.
29:08 And like I said, that you have seen.
29:11 And so when it comes to anything further or any specifics,
29:14 obviously I would refer you to my colleagues
29:17 at the White House Counsel's Office.
29:20 But those are the -- just to make that second point again very clear,
29:25 this was taken by determination.
29:27 The President took the determination at the request of the Attorney General
29:31 and wanted to make sure -- the Attorney General wanted to make sure
29:33 that law enforcement files like these must be protected.
29:37 >> But does the White House feel
29:39 that the recording, the audio could be politically harmful
29:43 since that point was also raised in the letter?
29:45 >> So I can't -- I don't want to get into --
29:47 dive into the specific point that you're making about the politics.
29:51 I would have to refer you to our Counsel's Office on that.
29:56 But there were determination that the President took very seriously
29:59 on behalf of the -- I would say at the request of the Attorney General
30:03 and that's how this decision was made.
30:05 >> And on the shooting of the Slovakian Prime Minister,
30:09 I know the President released a statement yesterday,
30:11 but now that it looks more and more clear that it appears
30:14 to have been a politically motivated attack, I was wondering
30:17 if the White House had more to say on that front
30:19 of those potential motivations.
30:21 >> So I don't want to go beyond what I said here
30:23 at the elector and yesterday.
30:24 Obviously, we wish him a speedy recovery.
30:28 I don't want to get beyond that.
30:29 And I'm glad that he's doing okay.
30:32 He's doing better.
30:35 >> Thanks, Green.
30:36 Just to follow up on what Sun Yat-sen was asking for,
30:38 Speaker Mike Johnson said that President Biden is, quote,
30:41 "apparently afraid for citizens to hear his interview
30:43 with Special Counsel Robert Herr."
30:46 How is the White House responding to that?
30:47 >> I would say the transcripts are already out there.
30:49 They've been out there.
30:50 They have been released to the public.
30:52 The public has an opportunity to hear directly from the President
30:55 and what -- or to read and what exactly the President said.
30:59 The Attorney General made it clear that law enforcement files
31:02 like these need to be protected,
31:03 and that's the determination that was made.
31:05 Anything further, anything specifics,
31:07 I certainly would refer you to my colleagues.
31:10 But that was a determination that was made.
31:12 And again, anything more to that, I would refer you to my colleagues.
31:15 >> You talked about the transcripts being released, but as you know,
31:18 hearing something and reading it is very different.
31:21 And if the transcript is already out there,
31:24 why is it different to have the audio there?
31:26 >> Like I said, there were determinations
31:27 that the President -- that was made by the President
31:30 at the request of the Attorney General.
31:33 And so we took that very seriously.
31:34 The President took that very seriously.
31:36 And so that's what I would say to your question.
31:38 >> And just one more question on another topic.
31:39 With Xi Jinping meeting with Vladimir Putin
31:41 at the summit in Beijing,
31:43 they pledged to deepen their strategic partnership.
31:46 What is the U.S. assessment of the current Russia-China relationship?
31:49 >> So I know that there was a statement,
31:51 obviously that was a joint statement that was put out.
31:53 Look, we don't see anything new here.
31:55 I will reiterate what I said yesterday,
31:57 which was we find it unacceptable
31:59 that Chinese companies are helping Putin wage
32:02 this war against Ukraine.
32:03 We've been very clear about that.
32:05 And if China purports to support peace in Europe,
32:08 it cannot continue to feel the biggest threat
32:11 of the European security.
32:12 And that's not just coming from us.
32:13 It's coming from NATO, the EU, the G7 partners.
32:17 They put out a statement about this as well.
32:19 So look, the statement is nothing new.
32:21 It's more of the same.
32:23 And we've been very clear where we stand on this.
32:25 >> I'd like to follow up on that.
32:27 You said the statement is nothing new.
32:29 It was pretty anti-American.
32:30 I mean, whether it's new or not,
32:32 is it concerning to the White House?
32:34 >> Look, we don't see --
32:36 again, we don't see anything new with this.
32:38 We've seen this before.
32:39 I get the point that you're making.
32:41 We've seen this type of bilateral statement
32:44 from those two countries.
32:47 We have been very clear about this.
32:48 And it's not just us.
32:49 You've heard from the EU.
32:51 You've heard from the G7 partners.
32:52 You've heard from NATO.
32:54 And look, we have been -- all of the allies and partners
33:00 that I just mentioned, we've been very clear on making sure
33:02 that we do everything that we can to give the brave people
33:06 of Ukraine who are fighting Putin's aggression the security
33:09 assistance that they need.
33:11 And that's why it was so important to get
33:12 that national security supplemental.
33:14 You heard us announce $1 billion on the day that it became law,
33:19 that national security supplemental,
33:20 to get that funding out.
33:22 You heard from Secretary Blinken, who was just in Ukraine,
33:25 and talked about giving more of that security assistance.
33:29 So we've all been clear.
33:30 There -- you know, these two bilateral relationship,
33:35 obviously they stand out as two countries who are, as I said,
33:39 put out the statement.
33:40 But, you know, that is not the position,
33:42 not just the position of the U.S.
33:44 They heard it from G7, NATO, the EU.
33:46 We've been very, very clear about that.
33:48 And we're going to continue to stand by Ukraine as they fight
33:51 for their freedom, they fight for their democracy.
33:54 >> Does this White House/does the United States have any
33:58 leverage to dissuade China from supporting Russia
34:03 as much as it is?
34:04 >> Look, I mean, we've been very clear publicly.
34:07 We've been very clear privately.
34:08 And we'll continue to do that.
34:10 >> But that doesn't answer my question.
34:13 Like, saying you've been very clear, what kind
34:17 of leverage do you have to change this?
34:19 >> I mean, here's what I say, Jeff.
34:20 When you have the EU, you have the G7, you have NATO,
34:23 all saying what we are saying right now, which is we're going
34:26 to protect or continue to help Ukraine defend itself,
34:31 you know, that says a lot.
34:33 We're talking about partners and allies here
34:35 who mount a pretty strong force here in saying that we're going
34:41 to continue to support Ukraine.
34:43 I mean, I think that says what you need to know.
34:46 >> Is there just nothing more you can do about China?
34:48 >> I mean, look, I'm not going to talk
34:49 about bilateral relationship.
34:50 I said this yesterday.
34:51 What I can speak is to what we've reiterated over and over again is
34:55 that it is unacceptable for Chinese companies
34:57 and how they're helping Putin wage this war against Ukraine.
35:01 We've been pretty clear about that.
35:03 But the fact that this is the president that has been able
35:06 to make-- bring NATO together, right,
35:09 been able to make NATO the more, you know,
35:13 stronger than it's ever been, that's important.
35:15 The fact that he's been able to put--
35:17 to bring more than 50 countries together in order to make sure
35:21 that Ukraine has what it needs to fight against Putin's war,
35:26 that says a lot.
35:27 That says a lot about this president's leadership
35:29 and that says a lot about where other countries are.
35:31 I mean, our partners and allies came together in support of Ukraine
35:35 and we're going to continue to do so.
35:37 >> Thank you, Brie.
35:39 Republican Senator Mitt Romney said in an interview overnight
35:42 that he believes that President Biden should have pardoned his
35:46 predecessor from federal charges.
35:49 And Romney argued that it's now been a win-win for Trump
35:52 in his campaign and in his public profile that he's been able
35:55 to use these charges to his benefit.
35:58 >> I'm not going to speak to pardons from here.
36:00 I'm just not, especially for a candidate for 2024 election.
36:05 I'm just not going to speak about it from here.
36:06 >> Romney is obviously a presidential power.
36:08 >> I'm just not going to speak about it from here.
36:10 OK.
36:12 >> It's great.
36:13 The Bureau of Labor Statistics yesterday released inadvertently
36:18 some CPI data 30 minutes before they were supposed to.
36:22 It came a month after it was demonstrated
36:25 that an economist had been talking to Wall Street firms.
36:28 A couple years after there was some suspicious trading activity.
36:33 So I'm wondering what level of concern you guys have,
36:35 how confident you are in the BLS leadership,
36:39 and if you think there should be an outside investigation.
36:43 >> And to your question, it was an inadvertent leak yesterday by BLS.
36:47 And there was a statement that they put out.
36:49 BLS has alerted the Office of Management and Budget
36:52 and DOL's Office of the Inspector General of the Incident.
36:55 BLS takes its data seriously and security obviously seriously
37:00 and is conducting a full investigation into its procedures
37:03 and controls to ensure the incident is not repeated.
37:07 BLS can obviously speak more into their investigation.
37:10 We have the President.
37:12 We have confidence that this will get done.
37:15 >> Thank you.
37:17 Two topics, if I can.
37:18 Briefly on what we were talking about with Ukraine.
37:20 The US today, the Treasury Department announced sanctions
37:24 on Russian entities for facilitating weapons transfers
37:27 between North Korea and Russia.
37:29 Also today, the chair of the NATO Military Committee said
37:33 that Russia was outstripping Western powers
37:35 in increasing their defense industry capacity.
37:39 How big an impact are these sanctions realistically likely to have?
37:43 And is the US considering more sanctions
37:46 that target the Russian defense industry more directly?
37:49 >> Well, starting with your first -- your last question first.
37:51 I'm not going to preview sanctions from here.
37:53 That's not what we do.
37:54 But I can say that to your point today,
37:56 the Department of Treasury designated five Russia-based individuals
38:00 and entities connected to the transfer of military equipment
38:03 and components from the Democratic People's Republic
38:06 of Korea, DPRK, to Russia.
38:08 This action builds a several --
38:11 builds on several sanctions designations over the past year,
38:14 targeting the Russia-DPRK military relationship,
38:17 most recently in February 2024, just a couple months ago.
38:22 These designations highlight our resolution --
38:24 our resolute opposition to these continued arms transfer.
38:28 We condemn Russia's veto of the UN Security Council resolution
38:32 that would have extended the mandate
38:35 of the UN 1718 Committee Panel of Experts,
38:39 a body that documented violations of UN sanctions related to the DPRK.
38:44 We will continue to examine all possibilities
38:46 to counter the destabilizing Russia-DPRK partnership,
38:50 but I'm certainly not going to preview any sanctions from here.
38:52 >> Okay. And one on Israel, by extension.
38:55 The Houthis have threatened more actions against ships
38:58 that they claim are heading for Israel,
39:01 potentially even in the Mediterranean.
39:03 Will the U.S. continue operations against the Houthis
39:06 if these attacks restart?
39:07 >> So look, obviously we condemn these Houthis for these attacks
39:12 and continue to take action to hold them accountable.
39:15 We've been pretty consistent in doing
39:17 that for the past several months.
39:18 These reckless attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis have not only
39:23 disrupted global trade and commerce, but also taken the lives
39:27 of international seafarers simply doing their jobs.
39:31 So we have taken significant amount of Houthi weapons.
39:34 Our military is regularly destroying Houthi missiles
39:37 when they're being loaded and prepared to launch,
39:39 but before they can actually be fired at commercial ships as well.
39:44 We will continue to act as needed to degrade the Houthi capabilities.
39:47 You have, again, seen us do this for the past several months,
39:50 and so we are committed to doing that.
39:51 Okay.
39:53 >> Thanks, Karine.
39:54 I want to ask you about the topic that's getting a lot of attention.
39:56 The Kansas City Chiefs kicker, Harrison Butger,
39:58 is facing criticism for his recent commencement address
40:01 where he told female graduates
40:03 that the most important title a woman can hold is homemaker.
40:06 He was critical about surrogacy, IVF, and Pride Month,
40:09 and he also criticized the President for being a Catholic
40:12 who supports abortion rights.
40:14 Has the President seen those comments?
40:15 Does he have a reaction to that?
40:16 >> The President's been pretty busy today,
40:18 so I haven't had a chance to focus on this particular issue.
40:21 I think I've heard some reports on it.
40:24 But the President's not going to back away from supporting women
40:27 and reproductive rights, reproductive health care.
40:31 It is important to do that.
40:32 It is important to fight for all of our freedoms,
40:35 and that's what you're seeing the President do.
40:37 He's not going to back away from that.
40:39 And, look, I can't speak to this specific thing
40:41 because I haven't heard it in its entirety, but, look,
40:46 you know, you have a former administration that had said,
40:53 a former President had said over and over again
40:55 that they were going to do everything that they can
40:58 to get rid of Roe v. Wade.
41:00 Was successful in doing that by putting forward judges
41:03 that made that happen.
41:04 We saw the Dobbs decision in 2022.
41:06 And what that caused is chaos.
41:08 It caused women to have to do, you know, to have to, you know,
41:14 be in a position to not get the health care that they need.
41:18 I mean, that should not be where we are as a country.
41:21 It should not be.
41:23 And then you have extreme Republicans that continue to talk about,
41:26 to talk about how they want to put national abortion ban.
41:30 It's causing chaos.
41:31 It's causing chaos for women.
41:33 It's causing chaos for families.
41:34 When you're saying that a family can't make a decision on IVF,
41:38 that's not what this President is about.
41:40 He wants to make sure that women have the right
41:42 to make these incredibly difficult decisions about their health care.
41:45 So families could make a decision about how they want to build
41:48 and move forward with building a family.
41:51 And so I can't speak to those direct comments.
41:53 But what I can speak to is what the President is committed to.
41:56 And he has shown that over and over again.
41:58 And you have a Vice President that has toured the country talking exactly
42:02 about that, about how we have to protect our freedoms.
42:05 And freedoms of obviously reproductive health
42:07 as we're speaking right now.
42:09 >> And you said you can't speak to the comments.
42:10 As the President gets ready to give his own commencement address,
42:13 does he think a message like that is appropriate
42:16 at a commencement address?
42:17 >> From this particular -- look, again, I haven't heard this in context.
42:23 I saw some reporting, so I want to be super mindful.
42:27 Look, the President sees commencement day as such an important moment
42:32 for not just the students, but for their families,
42:35 obviously their loved ones, to talk about the future.
42:39 To talk about how in the world that we are in now,
42:44 how do we move forward?
42:46 And you'll hear themes from this President
42:48 on that particular message.
42:50 And he understands how critical and important and how those messages,
42:53 especially a message from the President
42:55 of the United States, how much it matters.
42:57 I don't want to get ahead of the President.
42:59 He's going to obviously lay out and speak
43:01 to his commencement address on his own.
43:04 But he's done this many times before.
43:06 He's done this when he's given commencement address
43:10 as a senator, has done it obviously as Vice President and now President.
43:13 And this is an incredible, important, impactful, impactful moment.
43:19 >> Thank you, Karine.
43:22 Just now one of your colleagues at the State Department said Israel needs
43:27 to do more to prevent settlers from sacking trucks
43:33 of humanitarian aid bound for Gaza.
43:37 The people who are doing this sort of thing are supporters
43:41 of Prime Minister Netanyahu.
43:43 They're part -- the far-right parties are part of his coalition.
43:48 Is the President concerned that the Prime Minister's domestic political
43:54 needs could be preventing him from cracking
43:58 down on what is essentially aiding a famine?
44:02 >> So, look, a couple of things.
44:05 I do want to give an update on humanitarian aid
44:07 that has gone into Gaza.
44:08 I think it's important.
44:10 Since April 5th, more than 7,000 trucks have been moved into Gaza.
44:13 So that is an update.
44:15 Yesterday, nearly 250 trucks moved into Gaza, both via Karim Shalom.
44:20 So that is open.
44:21 So that is important, as you all know, in southern Gaza.
44:23 And a new crossing, Erez West, in northern Gaza.
44:27 So we have seen trucks go in.
44:29 And I think that's important to note.
44:30 And that's because of the President's push and relationship
44:35 with the Prime Minister, and insisting and pushing
44:37 and saying we need to get more aid into Gaza,
44:40 because we know how dire the humanitarian situation is.
44:44 However, with saying all of that, we remain concerned
44:48 about ongoing limited operations at the Rafah boarding crossing,
44:52 and also the Erez crossing.
44:53 I know I just mentioned that's a new crossing, but we want to get more
44:56 in, as well as the ability of humanitarian partners
44:59 to move within Gaza to deliver assistance and fuel
45:02 to the vulnerable people who need it.
45:04 So this level of aid remains insufficient, and we want to continue
45:08 to press Israel to increase the level of assistance moving into Gaza.
45:12 I cannot speak to the Prime Minister domestic politics.
45:16 That is for him to speak to.
45:18 What I can speak to is what we have been working on doing,
45:21 and how much we understand the importance of getting
45:23 that humanitarian aid in.
45:25 And that's what we've been doing.
45:27 >> I understand that you can't speak to the Prime Minister's motivations.
45:30 What I ask you, as the spokesperson for the President,
45:34 is is the President concerned
45:37 that Prime Minister Netanyahu's domestic political situation may be
45:41 in peril in U.S. efforts to get more aid into Gaza?
45:43 >> What I'm saying is that we understand what I just laid
45:46 out is not sufficient.
45:48 We want to get more in.
45:49 We are continuing to have those conversations with Israel,
45:52 and we have seen some progress.
45:54 We need to get more in.
45:56 And so the President is committed to that,
45:58 and that's what you have seen from this President.
46:00 That's what I will speak to.
46:01 Yeah, Nadia.
46:03 No, I know you have follow-up.
46:04 Go ahead.
46:05 >> I just want to follow up since you have the data, actually,
46:06 on the humanitarian aid.
46:08 >> Yeah.
46:09 >> But equally as important issue is the fuel.
46:11 So now the U.N. agency are saying that no fuel is impossible
46:14 to get fuel to Gaza, and you know it's vital for the hospitals.
46:18 So what efforts are the White House leading
46:21 to push the Israelis to allow fuel in?
46:23 >> So as you know, the PIR is in place, which is very important.
46:26 It will be operational in upcoming days.
46:28 So that's important, and obviously the Department
46:30 of Defense will have more specifics on that.
46:33 And so we're confident that we're going to be able
46:35 to distribute this type of aid to get that in to Gaza.
46:39 And so we continue to have conversations with the U.N.
46:42 and the Israelis and also NGOs to ensure
46:45 to ensure humanitarian workers are protected,
46:48 and we continue to get that aid in.
46:50 You heard from the National Security Advisor just days ago speak
46:54 from this lectern to say that we are trying to do everything
46:57 that we can from air, sea, and land to get that humanitarian aid in.
47:03 It is -- we understand how critical that is to get done,
47:07 and so this PIR is now in place, and up next couple of days,
47:10 very -- you know, coming days, we'll get that moving.
47:13 And that is one way, obviously, we're going to get that fuel in,
47:17 get the aid in, and obviously we're still working
47:19 on the land crossings.
47:21 And as you just heard, I gave some updates on the trucks
47:24 that have gone in to one of -- a new crossing that just opened up,
47:27 and obviously Karam Shalom.
47:29 So we are committed -- this President is committed
47:31 in getting that done.
47:32 The Press: I have one more question.
47:33 Yesterday, I did an interview with Senator Lindsey Graham,
47:36 and he said basically that a defense
47:38 and security comprehensive package with Saudi Arabia
47:42 could happen sooner than later.
47:44 And he suggests that actually it could be happening
47:46 under a democratic administration,
47:48 and he is willing to help the President to deliver it.
47:52 And now Jake is back to the region.
47:54 Can you just weigh in on that?
47:56 Ambassador Rice: I can't confirm Jake's travel, but go ahead.
47:59 (laughter)
48:00 The Press: All right.
48:01 Well, we can confirm it.
48:02 (laughter)
48:03 Ambassador Rice: I cannot confirm it from here.
48:04 I appreciate that.
48:05 The Press: But can you weigh this in and basically tell us
48:10 that if the White House believes this deal could happen,
48:14 later on link it, obviously, to what happened in Gaza and --
48:17 Ambassador Rice: Well, you know, we've been very consistent
48:19 about our long-term goal for a more peaceful, stable,
48:24 prosperous, and integrated Middle East region.
48:27 And that remains a focus for us.
48:29 That remains a focus for this President.
48:30 That remains a focus for our U.S. foreign policy.
48:33 That will always be where we stand on that.
48:36 And we continue to have conversations on these issues
48:40 to include the need of a pathway to a Palestinian state,
48:44 which is the only way to establish a sustainable peace
48:46 between the Israelis and the Palestinians.
48:49 That continues to be -- we've been, again,
48:51 very consistent about that.
48:52 Our immediate focus remains to securing the release of
48:55 hostages to make sure that we get -- also get to a ceasefire,
48:58 get that humanitarian -- create an environment where we're
49:00 getting more humanitarian aid in.
49:03 So, obviously, that's our focus right now because we understand
49:07 how important it is to get those hostages home to their loved
49:10 ones and to their families, to get that humanitarian aid in,
49:13 and to get to a ceasefire.
49:15 We want to see that.
49:16 We want to get to a ceasefire.
49:18 Okay, Michael.
49:18 The Press: Thanks, Marie.
49:20 The governor of Florida signed a bill today that effectively
49:23 erases all references to climate change in Florida law.
49:28 Do you have a response?
49:29 Ambassador Rice: That's pretty shameful.
49:31 And, you know, the President, as you know,
49:34 has been the most progressive, has done more on climate change
49:41 than any other President.
49:43 And so we are committed, committed in dealing with this
49:46 crisis and meeting our goals.
49:48 And you have heard from this President.
49:50 And it is unfortunate.
49:51 It is unfortunate that there are climate deniers still out there.
49:55 There's a lot more work that we need to do.
49:57 And so we think that's shameful.
49:59 The Press: The administration also today organized a deportation
50:04 flight of 100 Haitians to Haiti.
50:08 How does the administration at this point justify deportation
50:11 flights to Haiti given the situation on the ground there?
50:14 Ambassador Rice: So you've heard from us many times.
50:17 We are urgently trying to -- urgently working with the
50:22 international partners in Congress to expedite the
50:24 deployment of the Kenyan-led multinational security support
50:29 MSS mission, as you've been hearing.
50:32 We've contributed $300 million to that mission.
50:35 And we want to bolster the Haitian police.
50:37 We want to bolster what's going on on that front.
50:41 And we've also led in humanitarian assistance with
50:45 over $170 million since October 2022.
50:50 We understand the situation is dire in Haiti.
50:52 We understand that.
50:54 And we are clear-eyed that the economic, political,
50:57 security, and stability are key drivers for migrants
51:01 around the world.
51:02 And obviously, as you all know, you've been tracking what's
51:05 going on in Haiti.
51:06 So we are closely monitoring the situation and the routes
51:09 frequently used by migrants to reach our borders,
51:12 and would stress that at this time,
51:14 irregular migration flows through the Caribbean
51:16 remain low.
51:17 But that said, we are always planning for contingencies,
51:20 and we believe that is important as well.
51:22 I can't speak to this particular incident.
51:26 I have not spoken to the team about this yet.
51:28 But we get how dire it is there.
51:30 And that's why we've tried to move up our humanitarian
51:33 assistance here, leading the world in getting that
51:35 humanitarian aid.
51:36 And we're trying to get the MSS in place so that we can
51:40 give the support to the Haitian National Police in
51:43 dealing with the dire situation that's happening.
51:45 Okay.
51:46 Go ahead.
51:47 Go ahead, Patsy.
51:48 Thank you, Torian.
51:49 Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Golan yesterday publicly
51:52 questioned Prime Minister Netanyahu on his strategic
51:56 endgame of the war, calling out for an establishment of
51:59 a governing alternative in Gaza that's not Hamas but
52:02 also not Israeli military rule.
52:04 And to me, he is basically saying what Jake Sullivan
52:08 and Secretary Blinken has been urging for the same
52:11 things this week.
52:12 Even though this is the first time that Golan is
52:15 saying it publicly, this is something that we've known
52:18 privately from Israeli defense officials for some
52:20 time now.
52:21 I'm just wondering about the timing of this, how Jake and
52:25 then Secretary Blinken and then Golan are all saying
52:27 the same things this week.
52:28 Was there any coordination of any sort?
52:30 So I'm not going to -- I'm going to let others do an
52:32 analysis of the speech.
52:33 That's not something I'll do from here.
52:35 But we've been very clear that when it comes to the
52:37 future of Gaza, we do not support an Israeli
52:39 reoccupation.
52:40 We've been clear from this podium, from obviously
52:43 behind this lectern, and we obviously do not support
52:46 Hamas governance in Gaza.
52:48 So that's where we've been.
52:49 We'll continue to be there.
52:51 That underscores the importance of having a
52:53 clear and concrete plan for the day after the
52:56 conflict in Gaza.
52:59 As you just stated in your question to me, Jake Sullivan,
53:01 our national security advisor, was very clear
53:03 about this very recently.
53:05 And so we have discussed this with the Israelis, and
53:08 so we'll continue to do that, to have that
53:10 conversation.
53:11 But I'm not going to analyze his speech and
53:13 talk -- speak to --
53:14 The Press: I'm not going to do more about the timing,
53:16 though.
53:17 Was there --
53:18 Yeah, but I'm not -- I'm not going to speak to timing.
53:20 I'm not going to give an analysis on it.
53:22 We'll continue to have those conversations with
53:24 the Israelis, as we have been.
53:25 And we've made our point, and we've made our -- we're
53:27 -- our stance pretty clear on that.
53:29 You heard that from the national security advisor
53:31 in this lecture.
53:32 The Press: Just more broadly, on the ceasefire
53:34 itself, it appears to be in deadlock right now.
53:36 So at this point, is the President still confident
53:38 that his strategic end goal to end the violence in Gaza
53:42 and then what happens the day after can align with
53:44 that of Israel and Hamas?
53:45 Look, we have to continue to be hopeful.
53:47 This is a President that's optimistic, that's hopeful.
53:50 We're going to continue to work around the clock to
53:52 get this done.
53:53 You know, this could all end today if Hamas would
53:55 release the wounded, the women.
53:57 And we've said this over and over again.
54:01 The elderly -- it could end today.
54:03 But we're determined to get those hostages home.
54:06 We are determined to get to a ceasefire, to get more
54:10 humanitarian aid in.
54:11 And we have to be optimistic.
54:13 We have to be hopeful here.
54:14 Okay?
54:15 All right.
54:16 The Press: Thank you.
54:17 Israel said today that additional troops will
54:19 enter the Raqqa area and that its operation there
54:23 will intensify.
54:24 Do you have a comment on that?
54:26 What I will say is that we are continuing to monitor.
54:28 I'm just going to repeat what Jake Sullivan said
54:30 from this podium.
54:31 Nothing has changed since he was here on Monday.
54:34 And we're continuing to monitor.
54:36 We made our case very clear about a potential major
54:43 military operation in Raqqa.
54:44 We have our concerns about that.
54:46 We've made that clear to our Israeli counterparts.
54:48 We'll continue to do that.
54:50 What we have been told by the Israelis and what we
54:52 have seen is that these are targeted -- what we're
54:54 seeing in Raqqa, targeted operations.
54:56 And we're going to continue to have those, we believe,
55:00 constructive -- these meetings that we've had
55:02 have been constructive, not just in those two virtual
55:05 meetings, but on a daily basis.
55:07 We certainly are talking with the Israeli government.
55:11 All right.
55:12 You have the last one.
55:13 The Press: Thank you.
55:14 The Deputy Director of ICE is telling us that two
55:16 Jordanian nationals are in removal proceedings now
55:19 after posing as Amazon delivery drivers to crash
55:21 the gates at Quantico.
55:23 Does the White House think this might have been a
55:25 failed terrorist attack?
55:26 Ms. Jean-Pierre.
55:27 So, going to be really mindful, these two
55:29 nations that you're speaking of remain in ICE
55:31 custody, and given that it is an active law
55:33 enforcement matter -- so I would have to refer you to
55:36 ICE -- I just can't dive into this because, again,
55:40 there's a law enforcement -- this is a law
55:42 enforcement matter.
55:43 The Press: Something totally different.
55:45 (laughter)
55:46 Ms. Jean-Pierre: Oh, gosh.
55:47 Where is this going?
55:48 The Press: Have you heard --
55:49 Ms. Jean-Pierre: Oh, no.
55:50 (laughter)
55:51 The Press: -- that Vice President Harris is telling
55:53 friends that she may go back to California and run
55:55 for governor if the election does not go her way?
55:57 Ms. Jean-Pierre: That is news to me.
56:01 I would say this.
56:03 The Vice President has been a great partner to
56:07 this President.
56:08 He is appreciative of all the work that she has done.
56:11 It is impressive what she's been able to do on these
56:14 tours that she has done on reproductive rights, her
56:17 leadership on gun violence, to fight gun violence
56:19 across the country, prevention, obviously, and
56:21 leading in the first historic office coming out
56:24 of the White House.
56:25 She has been an amazing partner, and the President
56:28 appreciates her, appreciates her leadership.
56:30 And that's all I'll say to that.
56:32 Oh, gosh.
56:33 The Press: And last question.
56:34 Why is President Biden celebrating today the Dow
56:37 reaching 40,000 if his position, dating back to
56:40 2021, about the stock market is, "That's not how
56:43 I judge whether or not we have economic growth"?
56:46 Ms. Jean-Pierre: So while we have long said that the
56:49 stock market is not the economy -- and we have said
56:52 that, to your point -- it's clear that what we'll say
56:54 is that the President -- President Biden's economic
56:57 plan is working.
56:58 It's growing the middle class, as you hear us talk
57:00 about all the time.
57:01 Spurgeon's investment in manufacturing created
57:03 almost 800,000 jobs in this administration alone and
57:06 infrastructure, and outperformed other countries.
57:09 That's what the President has been very focused on.
57:11 Record stock market highs under President Biden are
57:14 good for retirement accounts and household wealth.
57:17 And that is just a fact.
57:19 And so -- which we -- which, you know, we would
57:21 never root for a stock market crash or for
57:26 Americans to lose their jobs.
57:27 It's something that we would never root for from here.
57:29 But obviously, you know, the stock market, again,
57:34 is not the economy.
57:35 But we believe that the President's economic --
57:37 President Biden's economic plan is working, again,
57:40 growing the middle class.
57:41 And I think that's a good thing.
57:43 I think we should be really grateful for that,
57:45 for the American people.
57:46 Thanks, everybody.