President Joe Biden will be in the hot seat next Wednesday during his first official press conference since March 2021, as Americans are demanding answers on numerous policy fronts.
“[W]e look forward to seeing you there and to — the President looks forward to speaking directly to the American people,” Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Friday.
While Biden sometimes takes questions from journalists, he typically walks off the stage in hopes to avoid any scrutiny from the media.
The timing of the press conference is a laughable move from the White House.
Biden has been dealt his worst week since the Afghanistan disaster, as Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) effectively killed the Freedom to Vote Act in a speech on Thursday, and the Supreme Court shot down the Occupational Safety and Health Administration vaccine-or-testing mandate by a 6-3 vote.
Federal election reform and coronavirus vaccine mandates for large companies were two crucial items on the administration’s agenda, and they blew up in the administration’s face.
Sinema Delivers Senate Floor Remarks on Voting Rights, America's Divisions, and the U.S. Senate https://t.co/72zAFWDPjO
— Kyrsten Sinema (@SenatorSinema) January 13, 2022
In a last-ditch effort to sway Sinema and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) on the filibuster, the moderate duo spoke with the president on Thursday night, Axios reported. Both senators support the legislation, except they are firm in their belief that scrapping the filibuster to pass it would backfire.
Related: 2022 Will Break Joe Biden
Democrats even used public intimidation and ridicule tactics to further their recent causes, with some progressives accusing Sinema of being a racist for wanting to keep the filibuster, Fox News reported.
To be blunt: @SenatorSinema chose her side – and that side is white supremacy. That's who she is. That's what defines her now.
— Tom Watson (@tomwatson) January 13, 2022
Their hyperbolic behavior has gotten the president’s agenda nowhere, and now they have some explaining to do.
Although the left-leaning media may take the route of placating the president, Biden has earned a reputation for being hot-tempered with the media, regardless of their political leanings.
Last June, he told CNN White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins that she’s “in the wrong business” after she asked a question about Russia, which he later apologized for. Still, he certainly has not earned the award for being “Mr. Transparent,” despite wanting Americans to believe so.
In short, the White House is setting the president up for failure. Biden has established himself as not only gaffe-prone but also unprepared without notes or a teleprompter.
It’s likely that he will have to answer questions on everything from the economy to the pandemic. Will he be able to do so calmly and accurately? I doubt it.
These recent policy failures have left the progressives infuriated, conservatives confused, and the White House in crisis mode.
Needless to say, Wednesday’s event will be a gift to Republicans.
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