"Where you can find almost anything with A Click A Pick!"
Go to content
Joseph R. Biden Jr. White House - Page 2 Find out more about the Joseph R. Biden Jr. White House - Page 1
MSNBC

Gene Sperling, a senior advisor to President Biden and former director of the National Economic Council, joins MSNBC’s Ali Velshi to discuss the danger of Kevin McCarthy’s “default brinkmanship,” as the Republican leader attempts to negotiate around a debt limit increase despite the severe economic consequences of a default.
Michael Collins, Josh Meyer | USA TODAY

WASHINGTON – Anita Hill’s riveting testimony alleging sexual harassment by Clarence Thomas was still fresh on Joe Biden’s mind when he gaveled the Senate Judiciary Committee back to order. “Tough day – tough night for you,” Biden told the Supreme Court nominee. “Do you have anything you’d like to say?” Over the next few minutes on that evening of Oct. 11, 1991, Thomas would denounce Hill’s allegations as “sleaze,” “gossip” and “lies” and characterize the committee’s confirmation hearing helmed by Biden as “a circus” and “a national disgrace.”

“As far as I’m concerned,” Thomas concluded of the televised hearing, “it’s a high-tech lynching for uppity Blacks.” Thomas’ confirmation hearing would set the stage for the decades-long, complicated relationship between the two men – one who would eventually become president, the other who would go on to win confirmation to the Supreme Court but would face multiple ethics controversies, including his wife’s involvement in a campaign to overturn the 2020 election that sent Biden to the White House.
The bill passed with slim majorities in each chamber, making it unlikely Congress will override the veto.
By Zoë Richards

President Joe Biden on Monday issued his first veto since taking office, rejecting a bipartisan measure that would nullify a new administration rule for retirement plans. "I just signed this veto because the legislation passed by the Congress would put at risk the retirement savings of individuals across the country," Biden said in a video posted on his Twitter account. "They couldn't take into consideration investments that would be impacted by climate, impacted by overpaying executives and that's why I decided to veto it."

The veto comes after the Senate voted 50-46 March 1 to pass a resolution blocking a Labor Department rule allowing for certain retirement plans to weigh environmental, social and corporate governance factors when selecting investments, instead of making decisions based solely on the best rate of return. In the Senate vote, Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Jon Tester of Montana joined Republicans to pass the measure. The House passed it Feb. 28 in a 216-204 vote, with Rep. Jared Golden of Maine bucking his party to vote with Republicans. A two-thirds majority is needed in each chamber to override a veto.
Story by David Goldman

The White House lashed out at Fox News host Tucker Carlson Wednesday in an extraordinary rebuke of the late-night commentator who has been airing false depictions of the January 6, 2021, attack this week. Carlson, given access to about 40,000 hours of US Capitol security camera footage by Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, has aired carefully selected clips to portray the pro-Trump mob as peaceful patriots. Carlson falsely claimed that the footage provided “conclusive” evidence that Democrats and the House select committee that investigated January 6 lied to Americans about the day’s events.

According to the Justice Department, 140 officers were assaulted at the Capitol that day, including 60 Metropolitan Police officers and 80 US Capitol Police officers. The Fox News host was roundly lambasted by the Capitol Police, Democratic lawmakers and some Republicans this week. White House spokesperson Andrew Bates added to the condemnation Wednesday. “We agree with the chief of the Capitol Police and the wide range of bipartisan lawmakers who have condemned this false depiction of the unprecedented, violent attack on our Constitution and the rule of law – which cost police officers their lives,” Bates said. “We also agree with what Fox News’s own attorneys and executives have now repeatedly stressed in multiple courts of law: That Tucker Carlson is not credible.”
Reuters

WASHINGTON, Feb 20 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden by all accounts was having a quiet weekend at the White House, joining his wife Jill Biden for dinner at a restaurant on a rare outing in Washington on Saturday.

But behind the scenes, officials at the White House and other agencies were planning intensively for Biden to make an unannounced trip to Kyiv to show solidarity with Ukraine days before the one-year anniversary of Russia's invasion. After months of planning, Biden on Friday decided to go ahead with the trip, according to the White House.
Story by Michael Luciano

The White House quote-tweeted a Fox News story saying the White House “tripled down” on President Joe Biden’s “false claim” about Social Security, and posted audio of Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) calling for the program to be privatized. The White House released a statement on Thursday morning repeating Biden’s remarks in the State of the Union address that “some Republicans” want to cut Social Security.

Last month, the leader of the 160-member House Republican Study Committee, which endorsed raising the retirement age for Social Security, didn’t rule out that possibility. “We have no choice but to make hard decisions,” said Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK). “Everybody has to look at everything.” The Fox News story seized on a line in the White House’s statement. “For years, Republican Members of Congress have repeatedly tried to cut Medicare and Social Security, move toward privatizing one or both programs, and raise the Social Security retirement age and Medicare eligibility age,” it read.
By ERIC TUCKER, COLLEEN LONG and ZEKE MILLER

WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI searched President Joe Biden’s vacation home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, on Wednesday without turning up any classified documents, the latest turn in an extraordinary series of searches of his and his predecessor’s properties.

Agents did take some handwritten notes and other materials relating to Biden’s time as vice president for review, just as they had when they searched his Wilmington home last month where they also found classified items. Investigators searched his former office at a Washington think tank that bears his name in November, but it isn’t clear whether they took anything.

The Biden searches, conducted with his blessing, have come as investigators work to determine how classified information from his time as a senator and vice president came to wind up in his home and former office — and whether any mishandling involved criminal intent or was merely a mistake in a city where unauthorized treatment of classified documents is not unheard-of.

Officials in the United States have discovered six more classified documents during a new search of President Joe Biden’s home in Wilmington, Delaware, according to a lawyer. Some of the classified documents and “surrounding materials” dated from Biden’s tenure in the US Senate, where he represented Delaware from 1973 to 2009, the president’s personal lawyer, Bob Bauer, said in a statement on Saturday.
Lawyers found the Obama-Biden administration records during a search completed Wednesday night.
By Kelly Hooper

Lawyers for President Joe Biden have discovered additional documents with classified markings in a storage space in the garage of his Wilmington, Del., residence, the special counsel to the president announced Thursday. The lawyers found the Obama-Biden administration records during a search completed Wednesday night of Biden’s residences in both Wilmington and Rehoboth Beach, Del. All but one of the documents were found in a storage space in Biden’s Wilmington garage, with one other record found in an adjacent room, Special Counsel to the President Richard Sauber said in a statement.

Discovery of More Classified Records Raises Questions Over Biden’s Handling of Documents. The revelation is sure to intensify Republican attacks on the president, who has called former President Donald J. Trump irresponsible for hoarding sensitive documents at his estate in Florida.
Story by Jody Madeira

On Monday, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit ruled 2–1 that President Joe Biden lacked authority to issue an executive order imposing a requirement on companies with whom the U.S. government contracts that employees be vaccinated against COVID-19, affecting thousands of companies and up to 25 percent of the U.S. workforce.

Responding to the demands of Louisiana, Indiana, and Mississippi, the 5th Circuit kept in place a ban on the implementation of Biden’s executive order on the grounds that the president lacked authority to impose this requirement, and that the order violated an obscure-sounding administrative law principle: the major questions doctrine. Monday’s ruling, Louisiana v. Biden, has far-reaching consequences for federal contractors, but its legal substance also has stark and serious consequences for American law.
Story by Joey Garrison and Rebecca Morin, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden signed historic legislation Tuesday protecting same-sex marriages nationally, marking a major milestone in the fight for gay rights that follows a seismic change in the nation's attitudes. "Today is a good day," Biden said ahead of signing the bill. "Today, America takes a vital step toward equality, toward liberty and justice, not just for some, but for everyone. Toward creating a nation where decency, dignity, and love are recognized, honored and protected." At a ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House, Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act, making it the law that all states recognize same-sex and interracial marriages. Democratic and Republican lawmakers, LGBTQ advocates and plaintiffs in marriage equality cases were among the thousands in attendance.
Biden administration scales back student loan forgiveness plan as states sue
By Katie Lobosco, CNN

Washington CNN — The Biden administration scaled back eligibility for its student loan forgiveness plan Thursday, the same day six Republican-led states sued President Joe Biden in an effort to block his student loan forgiveness plan from taking effect. Borrowers whose federal student loans are guaranteed by the government but held by private lenders will now be excluded from receiving debt relief. Around 770,000 people will be affected by the change, according to an administration official.

The Department of Education initially said these loans, many of which were made under the former Federal Family Education Loan program and Federal Perkins Loan program, would be eligible for the one-time forgiveness action as long as the borrower consolidated his or her debt into the federal Direct loan program.

On Thursday, the department reversed course. According to its website, privately held federal student loans must have been consolidated before September 29 in order to be eligible for the debt relief. Borrowers with privately held federal student loans who have not consolidated yet are currently out of luck, though the Department of Education said it “is assessing whether there are alternative pathways” to provide relief.
Biden warns US democracy imperiled by Trump and Maga extremists
Lauren Gambino in Washington

Joe Biden warned that American democracy was in grave peril by Republican forces loyal to Donald Trump who “fan the flames” of political violence in pursuit of power at any cost. In a primetime address from Philadelphia, the city where American democracy was born, the US president said the United States was in a continued battle for the “soul of the nation.” It was reprising a theme that animated his campaign for the White House in 2020 to frame the stakes of the November elections as an existential choice between his party’s agenda and Republicans’ “extreme Maga ideology”.

“Donald Trump and the Maga Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our Republic,” Biden said in remarks delivered at Independence Hall. Maga is short hand for “Make America great again” – a slogan from Trump’s 2016 election campaign. Biden emphasized that not all, not even most, Republicans are “Maga extremists” but there was not a question, he said, that the party was “dominated, driven and intimidated” by his White House predecessor – and perhaps would-be successor.

These Trump Republicans, he said, “thrive on chaos” and “don’t respect the constitution” or the rule of law. They “promote authoritarian leaders and they fan the flames of political violence”, he continued, adding that they believe there are only two possible outcomes to an election: either they win or they were cheated. “You can’t love your country when only you win,” Biden said to thundering applause.
Biden has a message for MAGA supporters: 'You can't love your country only when you win'
insider@insider.com (Cheryl Teh)

President Joe Biden on Thursday called out the MAGA world for only respecting free and fair democratic elections when they win them. During a prime-time speech, he spoke about the "battle for the soul of the nation" and slammed "MAGA Republicans" for fanning the "flames of political violence." In his speech, Biden called upon Americans to reject political violence and not allow the integrity of the country's elections to be undermined. While he acknowledged that politics in a "big, complicated country" like America could be "fierce and mean and nasty," he said that democracy would endure only if its people "accept the results of free and fair elections."
Biden launches round two against Trump in bid to save Democrats in November
Analysis by Stephen Collinson, CNN

(CNN) President Joe Biden gave impassioned notice Tuesday he intends to make what he bills the far-right extremism and lawlessness of Donald Trump's "MAGA Republicans" the key issue in his bid to save Democrats in November's midterm elections. Biden found his voice in one of his most robust political speeches yet as president, days after condemning GOP "semi-fascism," as part of a three-stop blitz in the coming week in Pennsylvania -- a battleground that could decide the Senate's destiny in November. "You can't be pro-law enforcement and pro-insurrection," Biden said in remarks specifically calling out Republicans on Tuesday. "You can't be a party of law and order and call the people who attacked the police on January 6 patriots. You can't do it." He also implicitly rebuked Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, who had warned of street riots if the former President is indicted after an FBI search of his Florida resort after taking classified documents when he left the White House.
By ZEKE MILLER and SEUNG MIN KIM

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden signed Democrats’ landmark climate change and health care bill into law on Tuesday, delivering what he has called the “final piece” of his pared-down domestic agenda, as he aims to boost his party’s standing with voters less than three months before the midterm elections. The legislation includes the most substantial federal investment in history to fight climate change — some $375 billion over the decade — and would cap prescription drug costs at $2,000 out-of-pocket annually for Medicare recipients. It also would help an estimated 13 million Americans pay for health care insurance by extending subsidies provided during the coronavirus pandemic.

The measure is paid for by new taxes on large companies and stepped-up IRS enforcement of wealthy individuals and entities, with additional funds going to reduce the federal deficit. In a triumphant signing event at the White House, Biden pointed to the law as proof that democracy — no matter how long or messy the process — can still deliver for voters in America as he road-tested a line he will likely repeat later this fall ahead of the midterms: “The American people won, and the special interests lost.”
By Kate Sullivan, CNN

CNN — President Joe Biden on Wednesday signed into law a bill expanding health care benefits to millions of veterans who were exposed to toxic burn pits during their military service. The bill is a major bipartisan victory for Congress and addresses an issue that is personal to the President. Biden has said he believes there may have been a connection between the brain cancer that killed his 46-year-old son, Beau Biden, and the burn pits Beau was exposed to during his military service.

Burn pits were commonly used to burn waste – including trash, munitions, hazardous material and chemical compounds – at military sites throughout Iraq and Afghanistan until about 2010. These massive open-air burn pits, which were often operated at or near military bases, released dangerous toxins into the air that, upon exposure, may have caused short- and long-term health conditions, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. “Toxic smoke, thick with poison spreading through the air and into the lungs of our troops. When they came home many of the fittest and best warriors that we sent to war were not the same. Headaches, numbness, dizziness, cancer. My son Beau was one of them,” Biden said. Beau Biden was an Iraq war veteran who served as the attorney general of Delaware and died of brain cancer in 2015.
By Maegan Vazquez and Kate Sullivan, CNN

CNN — President Joe Biden on Tuesday signed into law a bill aimed at boosting American chip manufacturing as he kicked off a victory lap to celebrate a string of wins in Washington. The CHIPS and Science Act will invest more than $200 billion over the next five years in a bid to help the US regain a leading position in semiconductor chip manufacturing. It is aimed at countering China’s growing economic influence, lowering the cost of goods, making the US less reliant on foreign manufacturing and mitigating supply chain disruptions in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Biden on Tuesday described the law as a “once-in-a-generation investment in America itself.”
By Donald Judd and Devan Cole, CNN

CNN — President Joe Biden is continuing to isolate at the White House on Sunday after testing positive for a rebound case of Covid-19 Saturday morning, White House physician Kevin O’Connor wrote in a letter Sunday that was released by the White House, adding that the President “continues to feel well,” but, “unsurprisingly, his SARS-CoV-2 antigen testing remained positive.”

Biden, who emerged from isolation earlier last week after testing negative on rapid antigen tests starting Tuesday, “will continue to conduct the business of the American people from the Executive Residence,” O’Connor writes, continuing “to be very specifically conscientious to protect any of the Executive Residence, White House, Secret Service, and other staff whose duties require any (albeit socially distanced) proximity to him.” A White House official said Sunday that Biden, 79, had six close contacts prior to the positive test a day earlier that sent him back into isolation. None of those contacts have since tested positive, the official said. Sunday is considered “day one” of positivity in the President’s latest isolation period.
Don Clyde, Shauneen Miranda

President Biden on Saturday signed into law the first major gun safety legislation passed by Congress in nearly 30 years. The signing comes just over a month after the mass shooting at a Texas elementary school killed 19 children and two adults. That attack came 10 days after a racist mass shooting at a Buffalo, N.Y., supermarket killed 10 Black people. "While this bill doesn't do everything I want, it does include actions I've long called for that are going to save lives," Biden said just before signing the measure. "Today, we say more than enough. We say more than enough," he added. "At a time when it seems impossible to get anything done in Washington, we are doing something consequential." The legislation, which passed the House 234-193 Friday night following Senate approval Thursday, includes incentives for states to pass so-called red flag laws that allow groups to petition courts to remove weapons from people deemed a threat to themselves or others.
By Trevor Hunnicutt, Dave Graham and Matt Spetalnick

LOS ANGELES, June 10 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden and fellow leaders from the Western Hemisphere on Friday rolled out a new set of measures to confront the regional migration crisis, seeking to salvage an Americas summit roiled by division. Biden's aides had touted the migration declaration as a centerpiece of the U.S.-hosted Summit of the Americas, and 20 countries joined him for a ceremonial unveiling of the plan - though several others stayed away. Capping the summit's final day, the White House promoted a series of migrant programs agreed by countries across the hemisphere and Spain, attending as an observer, which pledged a more cooperative approach. But analysts were skeptical that the pledges are meaningful enough to make a significant difference.
By David Shepardson and Mike Stone

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Biden administration will scrap a paint scheme for Air Force One proposed by former President Donald Trump, after the Air Force determined the design would create too much heat for the presidential aircraft, a U.S. official said on Friday. The current exterior color scheme on the presidential aircraft, known as Air Force One when the president is on board, is white with two shades of blue and dates back to President John F. Kennedy's administration. Trump, who left office in January 2021, wanted to change it to red, white and blue. "The Trump paint scheme is not being considered because it could drive additional engineering, time and cost," an administration official said on condition of anonymity.
By ZEKE MILLER and CHRIS MEGERIAN

WASHINGTON (AP) — Lamenting a uniquely American tragedy, an anguished and angry President Joe Biden delivered an urgent call for new restrictions on firearms after a gunman shot and killed at least 19 children at a Texas elementary school. Biden spoke Tuesday night from the White House barely an hour after returning from a five-day trip to Asia that was bracketed by mass shootings in the U.S. He pleaded for action to address gun violence after years of failure — and bitterly blamed firearm manufacturers and their supporters for blocking legislation in Washington. ’“When in God’s name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby?” Biden said with emotion. “Why are we willing to live with this carnage? Why do we keep letting this happen?” With first lady Jill Biden standing by his side in the Roosevelt Room, the president, who has suffered the loss of two of his own children — though not to gun violence — spoke in visceral terms about the grief of the loved ones of the victims and the pain that will endure for the students who survived.
Maureen Groppe, USA TODAY

President Joe Biden on Monday said the United States would come to Taiwan’s defense militarily if China invades and tries to take over the self-ruled island by force. "That's the commitment we made," Biden said during a news conference in Tokyo with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. U.S. relations with the island are governed by the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, which outlines the U.S. commitment to help Taiwan maintain its military defense. It does not require the U.S. to intervene militarily – which Biden has ruled out doing in Ukraine. After Biden made a similar comment about defending Taiwan in October, the White House emphasized there was no change in policy. On Monday, both Biden and Kishida said they still support the "One China" policy that recognizes there is only one Chinese government. "But that does not mean that China has the jurisdiction to go in and use force to take over Taiwan," Biden said. "It will dislocate the entire region." That's one of the reasons why, he said, Russia must pay a "dear price" for its invasion of Ukraine. If Russia is not held accountable, Biden continued, "then what signal does that send to China about the cost of attempting, of attempting, to take Taiwan by force?"
Did Biden hurt Elon Musk feelings because he did not speak about Tesla.

insider@insider.com (John L. Dorman)

Tesla CEO Elon Musk in a series of tweets last week claimed the Biden administration "has done everything it can" to "ignore" the automotive and clean energy company while also railing against the Democratic party. During an exchange with Pod Save America cohost Jon Favreau, who served as the director of speechwriting for former President Barack Obama, Musk responded to the Democratic commentator's criticism of his switch from backing Democrats to supporting the GOP. Musk initially opined on Wednesday that Democrats used to represent "kindness," but said they no longer held that mantle. "In the past I voted Democrat, because they were (mostly) the kindness party," he tweeted. "But they have become the party of division & hate, so I can no longer support them and will vote Republican. Now, watch their dirty tricks campaign against me unfold." Favreau on Friday took issue with Musk's characterization and issued a sharp rebuke to the businessman over his political change of heart. "Hey man, if you want to support a bunch of electric vehicle-hating climate deniers, that's on you," he wrote. "Not sure it helps the cause that you and your team have dedicated much of your lives to, but I guess you'll get some attention on Twitter, so there's that!"
By NICHOLAS RICCARDI

President Joe Biden’s approval rating dipped to the lowest point of his presidency in May, a new poll shows, with deepening pessimism emerging among members of his own Democratic Party. Only 39% of U.S. adults approve of Biden’s performance as president, according to the poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Research, dipping from already negative ratings a month earlier. Overall, only about 2 in 10 adults say the U.S. is heading in the right direction or the economy is good, both down from about 3 in 10 a month earlier. Those drops were concentrated among Democrats, with just 33% within the president’s party saying the country is headed in the right direction, down from 49% in April. Of particular concern for Biden ahead of the midterm elections, his approval among Democrats stands at 73%, a substantial drop since earlier in his presidency. In AP-NORC polls conducted in 2021, Biden’s approval rating among Democrats never dropped below 82%.
By Kaitlan Collins, CNN

Seoul (CNN) President Joe Biden on Saturday signed the $40 billion aid package to Ukraine, a White House official said, after the bill was flown to Seoul. The Senate passed it following Biden's departure from Washington. The confirmation that Biden had signed the bill came as the President attended a state dinner with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. Biden signed the aid package off camera earlier Saturday, along with a bill to improve access to baby formula for families in need. The legislation provides money for military and humanitarian aid, including funding to assist Ukrainian military and national security forces, help replenish stores of US equipment sent to Ukraine, and provide public health and medical support for Ukrainian refugees. A National Security Council spokesman told CNN the bill was being flown to South Korea with someone already traveling to the region for official duties.
Camilo Montoya-Galvez

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cannot move forward with a plan to discontinue pandemic-related emergency rules that allow U.S. border agents to rapidly expel migrants to Mexico or their home countries on public health grounds, a federal judge in Louisiana ruled Friday. Judge Robert Summerhays of the U.S. District Court in Lafayette, Louisiana, issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Biden administration from ending the restrictions, known as Title 42, on May 23, when the CDC had planned to stop authorizing the border expulsions. Agreeing with arguments presented by Republican attorneys general who sued the Biden administration, Summerhays, an appointee of former President Donald Trump, said the CDC had improperly terminated Title 42, a public health authority enacted during World War II. In the 47-page ruling, Summerhays said the CDC should have allowed the public to comment on Title 42's termination before finalizing it. "Simply put, the CDC has not explained how the present circumstances prevented the CDC from issuing the Termination Order through the required notice and comment process," he wrote. Before his ruling on Friday, Summerhays had already issued a temporary restraining order barring the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from starting to phase out Title 42 before the May 23 termination date.
Joey Garrison, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden said "white supremacy is a poison" and vowed "hate will not prevail" during a trip Tuesday to Buffalo, New York, where he grieved with family members of 10 victims killed Saturday in a racially motivated mass shooting at a supermarket. "What happened here is simple, straightforward terrorism," Biden said. "Domestic terrorism inflicted in the service of hate and a vicious thirst for power that defines one group of people being inherently inferior." Biden and first lady Jill Biden met with families of the shooting victims, who ranged from 32 to 86 years old. Most were Black, either shopping or working at a Tops Friendly Market in one of Buffalo's highest concentrated African American neighborhoods. The slain included a civil rights advocate, a deacon and a heroic security guard.  The president condemned the gunman's "hateful, perverse ideology rooted in fear and racism" and called out those who have pushed the "Great Replacement Theory" – the belief that white Americans are being systematically "replaced" by immigrants and minorities. Biden said that "through the media and politics," the Internet has "radicalized angry, lost and isolated individuals" into believing the theory.
By ELLEN KNICKMEYER, ZEKE MILLER and CHRIS MEGERIAN

WASHINGTON (AP) — Flanked by the leaders of Finland and Sweden, President Joe Biden forcefully supported their applications to join NATO on Thursday as Russia’s war in the heart of Europe challenges the continent’s security. The U.S. president rejected Turkey’s opposition, insisting the two countries “meet every NATO requirement and then some.” Biden walked to a White House Rose Garden appearance with his hands on the shoulders of Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson of Sweden and President Sauli Niinistö of Finland for an event designed to emphasize U.S. backing of their NATO candidacies. The firm show of support was targeted not only at Russia, but also Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who earlier emphasized his opposition to the two countries joining the military alliance. Erdogan’s new comments added to uncertainty about whether he is determined to derail the expansion, which needs the unanimous support of all 30 NATO members, or whether he is using the threat to gain concessions from the two nations as well as the United States.
Emma Colton | Reuters

Ethan Crumbley, the Michigan teenager accused of opening fire at his high school in November, allegedly wrote that he hoped the massacre would get President Biden impeached, new records show. "Hopefully my shooting will cause Biden to get impeached," 15-year-old Crumbley allegedly wrote in a journal entry disclosed in a court filing Wednesday, the Detroit Free Press reported. Lawyers for Crumbley's parents, who have also been charged in the case, made the disclosure as they try to prevent their son's journal, web searches on shootings and text messages to a friend from being admitted as evidence to their trial slated for later this year. James and Jennifer Crumbley, who are facing involuntary manslaughter charges, are worried that politics might affect their chances at a fair trial, the Detroit Free Press reported. Prosecutors argue the parents failed to intervene and get their son mental health assistance, and instead purchased a gun for him that was allegedly used in the shooting.
Did Biden hurt Elon Musk feelings because he did not speak about Tesla. Sorry Biden hurt your feelings Elon Musk it is the Republicans who are the party of hate and insurrection.

Harper Lambert | TheWrap

Elon Musk has renounced the Democratic Party and says in his latest tweet he will now vote Republican. Despite supporting the Democrats in the past "because they were (mostly) the kindness party," the Tesla and SpaceX CEO tweeted Wednesday, "they have become the party of divison & hate, so I can no longer support them and will vote Republican." Musk, whose takeover of Twitter is now up in the air, finished off the tweet with a jab at his former party: "Now watch their dirty tricks campaign against me unfold … " he wrote, punctuating the sentence with a popcorn emoji.
By Maegan Vazquez and Kate Sullivan, CNN

(CNN) President Joe Biden on Tuesday did not hesitate to call the deadly mass shooting in Buffalo, New York, an act of domestic terrorism, condemning the racist ideology of the suspected shooter. "White supremacy is a poison. It's a poison ... running through our body politic," Biden said, adding that silence is "complicity." "And it's been allowed to grow and fester right before our eyes," he continued. "No more, no more. We need to say as clearly and as forcefully as we can that the ideology of White supremacy has no place in America. None." He added, "In America, evil will not win, I promise you. Hate will not prevail. White supremacy will not have the last word. The evil did come to Buffalo and it's come to all too many places, manifested in gunmen who massacred innocent people in the name of hateful and perverse ideology, rooted in fear and racism. It's taken so much." Speaking at the close of his visit to the city, the President remembered each of the victims of the shooting at a grocery store frequented by a largely Black clientele, becoming visibly emotional as he described how they were remembered by their families and their community.
by Morgan Chalfant

President Biden on Sunday called on Americans to root out hatred after a gunman shot and killed 10 people in Buffalo, N.Y., in what police have deemed a racially motivated mass shooting. “We must all work together to address the hate that remains a stain on the soul of America,” Biden said during an address at the National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service outside the U.S. Capitol. “Our hearts are heavy once again, but our resolve must never, ever waver. No one understands this more than the people sitting in front of me — moms, dads, children, family members — about how those folks in Buffalo feel today when they got the call,” Biden said. Biden noted that officials are investigating the shooting as a hate crime and said he was receiving regular updates on the shooting, which occurred on Saturday afternoon at a grocery store.  
by Alexander Bolton

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Sunday urged President Biden to name Russia a state sponsor of terrorism, which would lift sovereign immunity protections shielding the country from being sued for civil damages. “I think it’s a good idea, and I would support that,” he told reporters during a press call from Stockholm. “The president could do it on his own, and I would urge him to do it.” McConnell made his recommendation to designate Russia a sponsor of terrorism after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday. Three other Republican senators, Sens. John Barrasso (Wyo.), John Cornyn (Texas) and Susan Collins (Maine), also attended the meeting.
Jake Thomas

Anthony Fauci, the president's chief medical advisor, says he "just can't explain" a White House tweet stating the COVID-19 vaccine wasn't available when President Joe Biden took office. Fauci made the remarks Friday to CNN's Jake Tapper, who asked him about the since corrected tweet that seemed to falsely give credit to Biden for the vaccine's development. The exchange comes as the Biden administration seeks to defend its record against withering criticism from political opponents. During the segment, Tapper pointed to a Thursday tweet from the White House stating that "when President Biden took office, millions were unemployed and there was no vaccine available." "But as you know, that's not true," said Tapper. "There was a vaccine available, it might not have been widely available, but it was available." Tapper said that CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale found that more than 3 million Americans had been fully vaccinated and more than 18 million had at least one shot as of Biden's inauguration on January 20, 2021.
Bill Bostock

President Joe Biden's administration asked congressional leaders last month to approve a new weapons deal with Turkey, The Wall Street Journal reported. The deal would see the US provide Turkey with missiles, radar, and electronics for its existing fleet of F-16 fighter jets, The Journal said. As well as the deal for missiles and parts, Turkey is separately hoping to sign a much larger deal with the US, worth roughly $6 billion, for 40 new F-16 jets. Turkey made that request in October, but it is unclear whether Biden has asked Congress to approve that deal.
By ALAN FRAM

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House emphatically approved a fresh $40 billion Ukraine aid package Tuesday as lawmakers beefed up President Joe Biden’s initial request, signaling a magnified, bipartisan commitment to thwart Russian President Vladimir Putin’s bloody three-month-old invasion. The measure sailed to passage by a lopsided 368-57 margin, providing $7 billion more than Biden’s request from April and dividing the increase evenly between defense and humanitarian programs. The bill would give Ukraine military and economic assistance, help regional allies, replenish weapons the Pentagon has shipped overseas and provide $5 billion to address global food shortages caused by the war’s crippling of Ukraine’s normally robust production of many crops. The measure was backed by every voting Democrat and by nearly 3 out of 4 Republicans. House debate reflected a perspective, shared broadly by both parties, that the U.S. has even more at stake than standing by Ukraine.
Sophia Ankel

President Joe Biden was furious about leaks that said US intelligence helped Ukraine kill Russian generals and sink its warship, report says, The New York Times reported on Monday. A senior administration official told The Times that after the reports of US involvement in the attacks emerged, Biden reprimanded several top defense officials, including Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III, the Director of National Intelligence Avril D. Haines, and CIA director William J. Burns.  Biden was concerned that the reports would further provoke Russian President Vladimir Putin, The Times reported.
Scott Detrow

First Lady Jill Biden will spend Mother's Day along the Slovakia-Ukraine border, meeting with Ukrainian mothers and children who fled their country after Russia's invasion. Biden will also tour schools that have taken in Ukrainian refugees and meet with U.S. troops stationed along NATO's eastern flank during a four-day visit to Romania and Slovakia. The two NATO allies border Ukraine. They have each taken in hundreds of thousands of refugees, and also served as staging grounds for NATO's military support for Ukraine. Biden is the latest in a long line of high-profile U.S. officials to show support for Ukraine and the U.S.' NATO allies by visiting Eastern Europe. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin all visited Ukraine in recent weeks. Biden met with Ukrainian refugees in Poland in March.
Penny Starr

At a meeting of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) on Thursday in London, the oil cartel voted on a modest production increase and announced that the organization is not to blame for the disruptions and price increases since Russia invaded Ukraine in late February.
Robbie Griffiths

President Joe Biden addressed the White House Correspondents' Association on Saturday night, the first time a president has spoken at the event in six years. The event was cancelled during the pandemic, and former president Donald Trump shunned the event while he was in office. The president joked about criticism he has faced in his first 15 months in power, and the press, the opposition, and Trump. "Just imagine if my predecessor came to this dinner this year" the president said. "Now that would really have been a real coup." Biden joked to the media: "I'm really excited to be here tonight with the only group of Americans with a lower approval rating than I have". He also made light of the "Let's Go Brandon" slogan, which is used by opposition to swear at the president. "Republicans seem to support one fella, some guy named Brandon," Biden said. "He's having a really good year. I'm happy for him."
RNC tweets distortion of what Biden said to teachers about kids in their classrooms
By Samantha Putterman April 28, 2022

The claim makes it sound like Biden was saying that kids belong to teachers and that teachers can ignore parents' wishes. But that misrepresents Biden’s comments by omitting words and context. The full quote includes him telling teachers students are “like” their children. His surrounding comments show that Biden was talking about the successful education of American children.
The Internet has been revolutionary. It provides unprecedented opportunities for people around the world to connect and to express themselves, and continues to transform the global economy, enabling economic opportunities for billions of people. Yet it has also created serious policy challenges. Globally, we are witnessing a trend of rising digital authoritarianism where some states act to repress freedom of expression, censor independent news sites, interfere with elections, promote disinformation, and deny their citizens other human rights. At the same time, millions of people still face barriers to access and cybersecurity risks and threats undermine the trust and reliability of networks.
Holly Ellyatt

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has warned the West of a “lightning fast” response to any country that intervenes in its war against Ukraine war and creates what he called “strategic threats for Russia.” “We have all the instruments [to respond] that no one can boast of ... we’re going to use them if we have to,” he said, in what has widely been seen as an allusion to Russia’s arsenal of intercontinental ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons. Russia shocked the European community by halting gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria on Wednesday because they had refused to pay for the gas in Russian rubles, as Moscow demanded.
Bill Bostock

President Joe Biden's pick for US ambassador to Saudi Arabia will likely be considered a disappointment or even an insult to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a former US official told Insider. Last Friday, Biden nominated Michael Ratney to the post following the departure of Gen. John Abizaid, a former head of US Central Command, from Riyadh last year. The nomination comes at a low point in US-Saudi relations, with Biden clearly distancing himself from the country and Crown Prince Mohammed — also known as MBS — reportedly trying to punish him back.
Ian Millhiser

Matthew Kacsmaryk, a Trump judge in Texas who essentially seized control of much of the United States’ southern border policy, appears likely to join the small cohort of Republican judges who went so far out on a limb that even this Supreme Court will not tolerate their behavior. Last August, Kacsmaryk ordered President Joe Biden’s administration to reinstate a Trump era program, colloquially known as “Remain in Mexico,” which requires many migrants who arrive at the US-Mexico border to stay in Mexico while their asylum case is pending in the United States. But Kacsmaryk read federal immigration law so narrowly that even President Donald Trump’s version of this program wasn’t harsh enough to comply. Indeed, as Texas Solicitor General Judd Stone conceded during an exchange with Justice Clarence Thomas on Tuesday morning, while the Supreme Court was hearing the case, under Kacsmaryk’s reading of federal law, no administration has ever complied with that law since it was enacted in 1996.
By Donald Judd, CNN

(CNN) President Joe Biden will mark "Second Chance Month" at the White House on Tuesday, commuting the sentences of 75 people serving time for nonviolent drug offenses, issuing full pardons for three individuals who the administration says have worked toward rehabilitation and unveiling new actions aimed at easing the transition back to normal life for the formally incarcerated. "America is a nation of laws and second chances, redemption, and rehabilitation. Elected officials on both sides of the aisle, faith leaders, civil rights advocates, and law enforcement leaders agree that our criminal justice system can and should reflect these core values that enable safer and stronger communities," Biden wrote in a statement shared with CNN on Monday. "During Second Chance Month, I am using my authority under the Constitution to uphold those values by pardoning and commuting the sentences of fellow Americans," he continued.
By Priscilla Alvarez, CNN

(CNN) The Biden administration told a federal judge in Louisiana on Friday that the court should deny a request from more than 20 states to immediately block the end of a Trump-era pandemic restriction on the US-Mexico border. In a court filing, the Justice Department argued: "Plaintiffs fail to show that they face a significant, non-speculative threat of injury. In fact, they cannot. DHS continues to prioritize Title 42 expulsions to the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras." The administration is on track to end the public health authority, known as Title 42, on May 23, but in the interim, border authorities are still allowed to turn migrants away at the US-Mexico border.
Swing-state Democrats turn on Biden over Title 42 border decision
By Eric Bradner and Alex Rogers, CNN

(CNN) The Democratic rebellion against President Joe Biden's plans to lift pandemic-era border restrictions is growing, as candidates in marquee races from Nevada to New Hampshire break with the administration and Republicans turn immigration into a centerpiece of their midterm election messaging. The Biden administration is set to roll back next month the public health authority known as Title 42, which was first invoked by then-President Donald Trump. The measure allows border authorities to turn migrants back to Mexico or their home countries because of the public health crisis. Democratic senators in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and New Hampshire -- all top GOP targets this year -- have already sought to distance themselves from Biden's move, charging that the White House has not adequately planned for a surge in border crossings.
Richard Luscombe

For Joe Biden, the vote by Florida Republicans on Thursday to strip Disney of its self-governing powers was a step too far. “Christ, they’re going after Mickey Mouse,” the president exclaimed at a fundraiser in Oregon, in apparent disbelief that state governor Ron DeSantis’s culture wars had reached the gates of the Magic Kingdom. The move, Biden asserted, reflected his belief that the “far right has taken over the party”. By voting to penalize Florida’s largest private employer, lawmakers followed DeSantis’s wishes in securing revenge on a company he brands as “woke” for its opposition to his “don’t say gay” law.
Bill Bostock

The White House has given up asking Saudi Arabia to pump more oil after being repeatedly rebuffed by the kingdom, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday, the latest sign of a growing rift between the two nations. The US banned imports of Russian oil and gas after Russia invaded Ukraine, helping to send prices at the pump soaring. In turn, the US turned to Saudi Arabia to boost production with the goal of driving down prices. But the Saudis declined, with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman — the kingdom's de facto ruler — reportedly ignoring President Joe Biden's phone calls. Saudi Arabia and Russia are key members of the OPEC+ alliance of oil producers, which decided on only a tiny increase in production in late March, despite global price rises.
Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried's lawsuit targets a federal requirement that prohibits medical marijuana users from purchasing firearms.
By Marc Caputo

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida’s lone statewide elected Democrat, Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, plans to sue the Biden administration Wednesday to try to block a federal rule that prohibits medical marijuana users from buying guns or maintaining concealed-carry permits. NBC News obtained a draft copy of the lawsuit. The lawsuit targets a federal form that asks whether the gun buyer is an unlawful user of drugs and specifies that marijuana is illegal under federal law. A person allowed by the state to use marijuana must then check “yes,” which results in denial of the purchase. Lying by checking “no” runs the risk of a five-year prison sentence for making a false statement.
By Justin Sink

The Biden administration will take action to extend the moratorium on student loan payments or decide whether he plans to cancel student debt through executive action in the coming months, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said. The freeze on student loan payments “is either going to be extended or we’re going to make a decision” about canceling debt, Psaki said during a taping of the “Pod Save America” podcast.
Zachary Basu

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at a virtual meeting with President Biden on Monday that he believes the U.S. will play an "integral part" in India's development over the next 25 years, hailing the world's two largest democracies as "natural partners."

Why it matters: The Biden administration has made strengthening the U.S. relationship with India a cornerstone of its strategy for confronting China in the Indo-Pacific, but has found itself at odds with the nationalist Modi government on a number of key issues.
By Kevin Liptak, CNN

Washington (CNN) President Joe Biden announced a new firearm regulation Monday meant to contain the use of privately made weapons as he comes under pressure to take more steps to address a national crisis of gun violence. The regulation on so-called "ghost guns" -- unregulated, untraceable weapons made from kits -- will address a critical gap in the government's ability to track them by requiring background checks before purchase and serial numbers on some of the components. Though ghost guns make up a relatively small share of the guns recovered by law enforcement, they have been seen with increasing frequency in recent years.
Biden brought one of the kits to the Rose Garden on Monday, declaring the new rules "basic common sense" before holding aloft one of the weapons made from the gear.
Zachary Basu

Slovakia has transferred an S-300 missile defense system to Ukraine, fulfilling one of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's top requests to help the country defend itself against Russia's bombing campaign. Why it matters: Zelensky pleaded in an address to the U.S. Congress last month for the U.S. and its European allies to impose a no-fly zone or give Ukraine the ability to "close the skies" itself by facilitating the transfer of Soviet-era fighter jets or anti-aircraft systems. The latest: President Biden thanked the Slovakian government in a statement Friday and said the U.S. will reposition a Patriot missile system to Slovakia.
litaliano@insider.com (Laura Italiano)

The FBI has arrested two men in an alarming alleged plot to ingratiate themselves with federal law enforcement officials — including a Secret Service agent assigned to First Lady Jill Biden's detail. Four members of the Secret Service have been placed on leave as a result of the investigation, officials said, without releasing their names. One Secret Service agent in the First Lady's detail was offered a $2,000 assault rifle by one of the men arrested, officials said. It's not clear if that agent is among those on leave. According to an FBI affidavit filed Wednesday night in US District Court in DC, Arian Taherzadeh, 40, and Haider Ali, 35, began the plot by posing as Department of Homeland Security employees. The two allegedly obtained handguns, rifles and tactical gear, and drove around in a black GMC SUV — equipped with emergency lights — as part of their disguise.
Oliver O'Connell, Maroosha Muzaffar, Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Republicans and conservative commentators are being roundly condemned for circulating misleadingly edited clips that purport to show Joe Biden being humiliatingly ignored in favour of Barack Obama at a White House event yesterday. Mr Obama was making his first public speech at the executive mansion since he left office. He participated in a celebration of the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare, as Mr Biden announced changes to the healthcare programme that could see as many as 200,000 uninsured Americans become eligible for new coverage.
The administration's latest review calls for canceling the weapon, but the brass wants it in the fleet.
By Connor O’Brien

The nation’s top military officer on Tuesday told lawmakers that he still supports the development of a nuclear-tipped sea-launched cruise missile that the Biden administration wants to cancel. The comments from Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Mark Milley make him the latest senior officer to break with the administration’s plan to scrap the missile, after top officers in Europe and overseeing the nuclear force backed it. Milley told the House Armed Services Committee that his advice to the commander in chief would stay private, but said his views on the cruise missile, known as the SLCM-N, and low-yield nuclear weapons “have not” changed. “I will say that to you though, as members of Congress who have oversight responsibilities, my position on SLCM-N has not changed,” Milley said. “My general view is that this president or any president deserves to have multiple options to deal with national security situations.”
Dan Mangan

President Joe Biden on Monday called for evidence to be gathered to put Russian leader Vladimir Putin on trial for war crimes related to his nation’s invasion of Ukraine. “He is a war criminal,” Biden said of Putin, on the heels of reports of mass killings of civilians by Russian-controlled troops in the town of Bucha, northwest of Ukraine’s capital of Kyiv. “This guy is brutal, and what’s happening in Bucha is outrageous and everyone’s seen it,” Biden told reporters, a day after video and still images revealed the town’s streets littered with dead bodies. “I think it is a war crime ... He should be held accountable.” Biden also said that he plans to slap additional sanctions on Russia for its conduct during the war, which began with an invasion on Feb. 24.
by Michael McAdams

It has been nearly a month since President Biden addressed the nation to announce a ban on Russian oil imports amid Moscow’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. As Biden pointed out during his speech, this moment is “a stark reminder” that the U.S. needs to be energy independent. At the time, the president made clear to the American public that gas prices, already on the rise prior to the invasion, would reach new heights as a result of U.S. sanctions. Today, we are seeing his prediction play out as gas prices have soared 48 percent year-over-year.  As Biden said, this moment “should motivate us to accelerate the transition to clean energy,” rightly touting his plan to shift the majority of passenger vehicles to electric. While the president’s commitment to transitioning the U.S. to clean energy sources is important, the siloed thinking on electrification is inadequate. Our leaders must be practical about how fast new transportation technology can be adopted, and prioritize multiple low-carbon efforts — not just electric alone. After all, fleet turnovers take decades — not years.
By Priscilla Alvarez, CNN

CNN — The Biden administration will end Trump-era pandemic restrictions that effectively blocked migrants from entering the United States on May 23, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday. Former President Donald Trump invoked a public health authority, known as Title 42, at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, a move that was immediately met with skepticism by immigrant advocates, public health experts, and even officials within the administration who believed it to be driven by political motivations. Yet the Biden administration continued to lean on Title 42 despite objections from its allies.
Alexandra Semenova

The U.S. economy notched another sizable payroll gain in March as the labor market extended a strong and speedy recovery to bring employment closer to pre-pandemic levels. The Labor Department released its March jobs report Friday at 8:30 a.m. ET. Here were the main metrics from the print, compared to consensus estimates compiled by Bloomberg.
Biden told Americans there's "no firm answer" for when gas prices will go down.
By Justin Gomez and Libby Cathey

Attempting to combat what's he's labeled "Putin's price hike," President Joe Biden announced a plan on Thursday to release roughly 1 million barrels of oil per day from the nation's strategic petroleum reserve over the next six months to reduce energy and gas prices. Biden told Americans "there is no firm answer" as to when gas prices will go down, but predicted they will go down "fairly significantly." "Today I want to talk about one aspect of Putin's war that affects and has real effects on the American people: Putin's price hike that Americans and our allies are feeling at the pump. I know how much it hurts," Biden began. "As you've heard me say I grew up in a family, like many of you, where the price of gasoline was discussed at the kitchen table. None of it should hinge on whether a dictator declares war."
By Kate Sullivan and Maegan Vazquez, CNN

(CNN) President Joe Biden signed a bill into law on Tuesday that makes lynching a federal hate crime, acknowledging how racial violence has left a lasting scar on the nation and asserting that these crimes are not a relic of a bygone era. At a White House Rose Garden signing ceremony, the President didn't hold back in describing the history of racial violence experienced by Black Americans and its continued impact. He said, "Lynching was pure terror to enforce the lie that not everyone ... belongs in America, not everyone is created equal. Terror, to systematically undermine hard-fought civil rights. Terror, not just in the dark of the night but in broad daylight. Innocent men, women and children hung by nooses in trees, bodies burned and drowned and castrated." "Their crimes? Trying to vote. Trying to go to school. Trying to own a business or preach the gospel. False accusations of murder, arson and robbery. Simply being Black," he continued
By Kate Sullivan, CNN

CNN  — President Joe Biden on Tuesday is set to sign into law a bill that would make lynching a federal hate crime after Congress approved the legislation earlier this month with overwhelming bipartisan support. The Emmett Till Antilynching Act of 2022 is named after a 14-year-old Black boy from Mississippi who was brutally murdered by a group of White men for allegedly whistling at a White woman in 1955. His murder sparked national outraged and was a catalyst for the emerging civil rights movement. The legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. Bobby Rush of Illinois and only three Republicans – Andrew Clyde of Georgia, Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Chip Roy of Texas – voted against the bill. The legislation then passed the Senate by unanimous consent. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said at the time that Congress had tried and failed more than 200 times to outlaw lynching and that the new legislation was “long overdue.”
Kate Dore, CFP®

President Joe Biden released his 2023 federal budget request on Monday, calling to hike the top marginal income tax rate to 39.6% from 37%, a proposal floated by the administration last year. The higher rates apply to married couples filing together with taxable income over $450,000, heads of household above $425,000, single filers making more than $400,000 and $225,000 for married taxpayers filing separately, according to the Treasury Department. You calculate taxable income by subtracting the greater of the standard or itemized deductions from adjusted gross income. If enacted, the change may hit higher earners beginning after Dec. 31, 2022, and income thresholds may adjust for inflation after 2023.
By Maegan Vazquez, Kevin Liptak and Alex Marquardt, CNN

CNN — President Joe Biden reiterated on Monday that he was not announcing a change in US policy when he had said that Russian President Vladimir Putin “cannot remain in power” – a remark that caught American and international officials off-guard, sending the White House into clean-up mode over the weekend. “I just was expressing my outrage. He shouldn’t remain in power, just like, you know, bad people shouldn’t continue to do bad things,” Biden said in response to a question from CNN’s Kaitlan Collins at the White House. “But it doesn’t mean we have a fundamental policy to do anything to take Putin down in any way.” Two days after Biden’s return from Europe, the improvised comment made at the end of an address in Warsaw about Putin – “For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power” – has hovered over the White House.
By Maegan Vazquez and Kevin Liptak, CNN

CNN  — Two days after President Joe Biden’s return from Europe, one improvised comment about Russian President Vladimir Putin hovers over the White House: “For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power.” The White House and Biden himself have swiftly tried to downplay the President’s comment, which was made at the end of a capstone address in Warsaw. The administration and allies say Biden wasn’t calling for regime change to remove Putin from power. Rather, they argue that Biden was saying Putin cannot be allowed to exercise power over neighboring nations. The comment, which came at the very end of a two-country visit to Europe meant to reinforce alliances, wasn’t planned and surprised aides who were watching Biden’s speech on television or at the event site. And the words hadn’t been something Biden raised as potentially including in his speech – previously, US officials were adamant that changing the government in Moscow wasn’t one of their objectives. In closed-door meetings earlier in the week, Biden told fellow leaders at NATO that he did not want to escalate the West’s confrontation with Russia.
The Russians who interfered in our 2016 elections are upset for what Biden said.

By Guy Faulconbridge

LONDON, March 28 (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Monday that U.S. President Joe Biden's remark that Vladimir Putin "cannot remain in power" was a cause for alarm, a guarded response to the first public call from the United States for an end to Putin's 22-year rule.
McKenzie Sadeghi | USA TODAY

The claim: President Joe Biden said there is a 'new world order'
References to a “new world order” have spread on social media amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the term gained significant traction after it was used by President Joe Biden in a speech in March. “Now is a time when things are shifting,” Biden told a crowd of CEOs at the Business Roundtable's quarterly meeting on March 21. “There’s going to be a new world order out there, and we’ve got to lead it. And we’ve got to unite the rest of the free world in doing it.” Within hours of his remarks, #NewWorldOrder was trending on Twitter. A flurry of posts suggested Biden’s usage of the phrase confirms the existence of a decades-old conspiracy theory that global elites will take over the world and establish an authoritarian one-world government.
While many in the West were busy debating Biden’s words, Putin’s troops were using white phosphorus munitions and snatching up civilians.
Allison Quinn

Joe Biden’s off-the-cuff declaration on Saturday that Vladimir Putin “cannot remain in power,” almost immediately walked back by the White House, has dominated Western news coverage this weekend as it stepped on the message the president was trying to put out while giving a boost to the Kremlin’s fanatical propaganda claims about a “fifth column” supposedly working towards regime change in Russia. But don’t let the wall-to-wall coverage of Biden’s “rhetorical escalation” distract you from the very literal, bloody escalations by Putin’s shock troops. You may have heard about the six missiles Russia fired at the Ukrainian city of Lviv even as Biden was speaking just across the border. But what about the reports of white phosphorus munitions being used by Russian troops on Saturday night—just as much of the Western world was in a tizzy over Biden’s assessment of Putin. Ukrainian forces in Avdiivka shared photos of the white phosphorus raining down, days after President Volodymyr Zelensky had warned the world that Russia was using “phosphorus bombs against peaceful people in Ukraine.”
By Phil Stewart, Brendan O'Brien and Humeyra Pamuk

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Top American diplomats clarified on Sunday that the United States does not have a policy of regime change in Russia, as supporters and critics of President Joe Biden played down his declaration that Russian President Vladimir Putin "cannot remain in power." Biden's comments in Poland on Saturday also included a statement calling Putin a "butcher" and appeared to be a sharp escalation of the U.S. approach to Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine. Julianne Smith, the U.S. ambassador to NATO, sought to contextualize Biden's remarks, saying they followed a day of speaking with Ukrainian refugees in Warsaw. Russia's month-old invasion has driven a quarter of Ukraine's population of 44 million from their homes.
By Mychael Schnell

Former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson on Sunday said he would have framed President Biden’s remark that Russian President Vladimir Putin “cannot remain in power” as a “statement of fact” instead of walking back the reportedly ad-libbed declaration. Biden made headlines on Saturday when, at the end of a speech in Warsaw, Poland, he said, “for God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power.” A White House official quickly attempted to walk back the remark, telling reporters that “the president’s point was that Putin cannot be allowed to exercise power over his neighbors or the region,” adding, “he was not discussing Putin’s power in Russia, or regime change."
Mike Allen, author of Axios AM

Saturday's Warsaw address was billed as one of the signature speeches of President Biden's term — perhaps bigger than a State of the Union. Then after a Reaganesque call for "a brighter future rooted in democracy," as a literal last line before his farewell, Biden ad-libbed:

What he's saying: "For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power."

Wait, what?! The U.S. wants to take out Putin? Is calling for regime change?

   Some variation of Biden's jab instantly led every major news site in the world, starting with CNN, where many world capitals were getting the news: "BIDEN: PUTIN CANNOT REMAIN IN POWER."

Why it matters: The takeaway from a 27-minute speech of massive consequence — on the world stage, a border away from Russian missile strikes in a war zone — was derailed by a taunt.

   A top official confirmed for Axios that the line wasn't on Biden's teleprompter or in his text.
That is ironic coming from the Russians who interfered in our 2016 elections to help Trump win because Putin did not want Hillary Clinton to win.

Reuters

LONDON, March 26 (Reuters) - The Kremlin dismissed a remark by U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday that Vladimir Putin "cannot remain in power," saying it was up to Russians to choose their own president. Asked about Biden's comment, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Reuters: "That's not for Biden to decide. The president of Russia is elected by Russians." A White House official said Biden, who was speaking in Warsaw, had not been calling for "regime change" in Russia but his point was that "Putin cannot be allowed to exercise power over his neighbors or the region"
By Kevin Liptak, CNN

Warsaw, Poland (CNN) At nearly the same moment President Joe Biden declared him a "butcher," Vladimir Putin's missiles began falling in Lviv, Ukraine. Sending black smoke and flames billowing into the air, and injuring at least five people, the strikes on a fuel depot pierced what had been relative calm in the western hub city that had seen relatively little of the war that has engulfed the nation. The target hardly seemed coincidental. Biden was 250 miles away, visiting Ukrainian refugees in bitter cold at Poland's national stadium. He heard pleas from young mothers to pray for the men -- husbands, fathers, brothers -- they had left behind. "We Ukrainian mothers are ready to strangle (Putin) with our bare hands," said a woman whose son remained to fight. Gathering up a small girl wearing a pink coat and pigtails, Biden told her he wanted to take her home.
By Kyle Blaine

Warsaw, Poland (CNN) President Joe Biden on Saturday called Russian President Vladimir Putin a "butcher" after visiting with refugees in Warsaw, Poland, in an intense criticism of the Russian leader's actions in Ukraine that have seen millions of refugees flee to neighboring countries. During the visit, Biden was asked by reporters what seeing the Ukrainian refugees at Stadion Narodowy made him think of as he deals with Putin every day. Biden responded: "He's a butcher." After initially looking to downplay a personal rivalry between himself and Putin, Biden has ramped up his rhetoric against Putin over the last 10 days. Last week, Biden for the first time called Putin a "war criminal" and then later referred to him as a "murderous dictator, a pure thug who is waging an immoral war against the people of Ukraine." He's also called the Russian invasion of Ukraine "inhumane."
NBC News

During a press conference from Brussels, President Biden said he believes Russia should be removed from the G20, the group featuring the 20 biggest economies in the world, and that it was discussed during the NATO summit. He also added that the suggestion was for Ukraine to be able to attend G20 meetings.
The president said chemical warfare in Ukraine would “trigger a response” from NATO and called for Russia to be booted from the G-20. But there are limits, as always.
By Christopher Cadelago, Jonathan Lemire and Samuel Benson

BRUSSELS — President Joe Biden on Thursday called for expelling Russia from the G-20 group of the world’s largest economies, suggested Ukraine join the meetings if that cannot happen and pledged to respond in kind if Vladimir Putin uses chemical weapons in the assault on his neighbor. Speaking with reporters at NATO headquarters in Brussels during an extraordinary day of meetings, Biden said the question of booting Russia from the G-20 was entertained, but he was deferential to the country now chairing the organization, Indonesia. His comments were part of a harder-line stance on Putin, who reportedly plans to attend the G-20 summit this October. While Biden declined to share U.S. intelligence on the possibility that Putin might deploy chemical weapons in his nation’s war on Ukraine, he threatened to “respond if he uses it” and promised that such an attack would “trigger a response in kind” from NATO forces.
FACT SHEET: United States and Allies and Partners Impose Additional Costs on Russia
United States sanctions over 400 Russian elites, Duma members, and defense companies in coordination with the European Union and G7; U.S. has now sanctioned over 600 targets. G7 and EU announce sanctions evasion initiative to prevent circumvention and backfilling of our unprecedented sanctions; continue to blunt Central Bank of the Russian Federation’s ability to deploy international reserves including gold President Biden is in Europe to continue our historic coordination with allies and partners on all aspects of our response to Russia’s war against Ukraine, including imposing further severe costs on those enabling President Putin’s war of choice. Today, the United States is sanctioning over 400 individuals and entities comprised of Russian elites, the Duma and more than 300 of its members, and defense companies, aligning and strengthening our sanctions in close coordination and partnership with the EU and G7.
He'll meet with NATO and G-7 leaders in Brussels and visit Poland.
By Ben Gittleson

President Joe Biden headed to Europe Wednesday as he tries to keep NATO allies and other European partners united against Russian President Vladimir Putin and his invasion of Ukraine. With fighting lasting nearly a month -- and Ukrainian forces unexpectedly holding Russia to a standoff -- Biden and other world leaders will seek to speed an end to the conflict. They'll face pressure to make announcements about new sanctions on Russia, humanitarian assistance for refugees and additional support for Ukraine's military. Putin and China will be watching, with the fate of Ukraine -- and Russia's place in the world -- hanging in the balance.
CBS News

Lviv — Russia continued flattening Ukraine's besieged port city of Mariupol on Tuesday amid escalating warnings from Washington that a cornered President Vladimir Putin, frustrated by his military's slow progress 26 days into the invasion of Ukraine, could resort to unleashing chemical or biological weapons on his neighbors. President Joe Biden said Monday that Putin's "back is against the wall," with his assault on Ukraine not going to plan. Mr. Biden called the Russian leader's allegations that the U.S. has labs in Ukraine to develop chemical and biological weapons a "clear sign he's considering using both" himself. As U.S.-Russian relations plummet to new lows, the U.S. leader also warned businesses that a Russian cyberattack could soon target companies or infrastructure on American soil.
By Maegan Vazquez, Donald Judd and Sean Lyngaas, CNN

(CNN) President Joe Biden on Monday urged private sector partners to strengthen their cyber defenses immediately, pointing to "evolving intelligence" that suggests Russia could conduct malicious cyber activity against American companies and critical infrastructure. While the Biden administration has been warning the nation of the prospect of cyber attacks by Russia for months, most recently as a response to the economic restrictions imposed on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, the President's statement suggests "evolving intelligence" has heightened the threat. The details of exactly what that intelligence is remain unclear, but deputy national security adviser Anne Neuberger said during Monday's White House briefing that Russia had been conducting "preparatory activity" for cyber attacks, which she said could include scanning websites and hunting for software vulnerabilities.
Jordan Novet

President Joe Biden on Monday advised U.S. corporations to strengthen their cybersecurity practices because of intelligence reports indicating that Russia is looking at possibilities to attack. The guidance came almost a month after Russian troops invaded Ukraine in a war that has brought over 900 deaths, including 39 children. “I have previously warned about the potential that Russia could conduct malicious cyber activity against the United States, including as a response to the unprecedented economic costs we’ve imposed on Russia alongside our allies and partners,” the president said in a statement. “It’s part of Russia’s playbook. Today, my Administration is reiterating those warnings based on evolving intelligence that the Russian Government is exploring options for potential cyberattacks.”
Christina Wilkie, Dan Mangan

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it summoned U.S. Ambassador John Sullivan on Monday in Moscow to formally protest President Joe Biden’s decision last week to label Russian President Vladimir Putin a “war criminal.” Sullivan was told that Biden’s accusation had put “Russian-American relations on the verge of rupture,” according to a statement from the Foreign Ministry translated by NBC News. Biden said March 16 that he believes Putin “is a war criminal” for ordering Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine. It was the first time Biden had publicly branded Putin with that phrase.
By Monique Beals

President Biden will travel to Poland on Friday after a series of high-level meetings in Brussels as the United States and its allies coordinate their response to Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Biden will meet with Polish President Andrzej Duda in Warsaw to discuss "the humanitarian and human rights crisis that Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked war on Ukraine has created," the White House said in a statement Sunday. Nearly two million Ukrainian refugees have fled to the Poland with Moscow's war on Ukraine now in its fourth week.
By Humeyra Pamuk and Simon Lewis

WASHINGTON, March 20 (Reuters) - The Biden administration has formally determined that violence committed against the Rohingya minority by Myanmar's military amounts to genocide and crimes against humanity, U.S. officials told Reuters, a move that advocates say should bolster efforts to hold the junta that now runs Myanmar accountable. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will announce the decision on Monday at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, U.S. officials said, which currently features an exhibit on the plight of the Rohingya. It comes nearly 14 months after he took office and pledged to conduct a new review of the violence.
Back to content