Karine Jean-Pierre holds White House press briefing after DeSantis’ California speech

Karine Jean-Pierre held a White House press briefing on Monday (6 March).

The press secretary's news conference came after Joe Biden addressed the 2023 International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Legislative Conference in Washington DC.

The US president gave a speech to the first labour union to publicly endorse his bid when he was campaigning for the 2020 election.

Mr Biden’s appearance came as he ramps up campaigning for re-election in 2024.

His opponents could be former president Donald Trump or the Florida governor Ron DeSantis.

Speaking in California on Sunday (5 March), Mr DeSantis appeared to be inching closer to formally announcing his intention to run for office.

At the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, the Republican condemned other states' responses to the coronavirus pandemic, hailing his state as the "citadel of freedom."

Mr DeSantis trailed behind Mr Trump at the Conservative Political Action Conference’s (CPAC) straw poll on Saturday, 4 March, with 20 per cent of the vote as opposed to Mr Trump’s 62 per cent.

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