Biden press conference: President stirs controversy on border, China and Trump and vows to run in 2024
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On the 65th day of his presidency, Joe Biden held his first formal press conference since entering the White House on 20 January.
In the hour-long Q&A, Biden courted controversy on migration at the Mexico border, the US relationship with China, and the potential to face off against Trump in 2024 in a rematch that see two oldest presidential candidates in US history (Biden 82 v Trump 78).
Of the 15 presidents of the past 100 years, all but for Biden have held a press conference within 33 days of being sworn into office. Donald Trump did it 27 days in, while Barack Obama outdid Trump by a week at 20 days.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg dismissed the company's role in polarising the US, blaming the "political and media environment" for promoting extremism and misinformation. His opening statement in the Senate big tech hearing came after a cutout of the Facebook boss dressed as the “QAnon Shaman” Jacob Chansley appeared on Capitol Hill before Congress began grilling the social media platforms.
Kayleigh McEnany, former White House press secretary to Mr Trump, has meanwhile appeared on Fox News to claim Joe Biden is in “badly declining” health and is concealing his condition behind a Covid face mask, a baseless smear intended to undermine his first press conference as president, where questions on immigration, the coronavirus vaccine rollout, infrastructure and gun control are likely to be forthcoming.
His vice president, Kamala Harris, is also already facing criticism from Republicans Ted Cruz and Doug Ducey, Arizona’s governor, after being appointed to lead the country’s response to the latest surge in asylum seekers arriving at the US border with Mexico as the administration struggles to find temporary housing for hundreds of unaccompanied children.
Read more:
- ‘My predecessor! Oh God, I miss him’: Biden mocks Trump and wonders if there’ll be a Republican Party at next election
- ‘Yes, my plan is to run’: Biden announces likely 2024 re-election campaign
- Fox News under fire for wrongly saying Kamala Harris broke precedent by not saluting military
- Zuckerberg says Trump ‘should be responsible’ for role in Capitol attack
Google’s Sandar Pichar stumped by Zoom meeting as he begins opening statement
“I didn’t’ have my volume on,” he says.
‘We will legislate to stop this’ says Mike Doyle of big tech misinformation
In his opening statement, the Democrat representative criticised the big tech companies for their role in the 6 January Capitol riots.
“Time after time you are picking engagement and profit over the health and safety,” Mr Doyle said.
Twitter’s Jack Dorsey begins his opening statement, believes in free speech, but…
“We believe in free expression, we believe in free debate and conversation to find the truth,” he said.
But…
“We must balance that with our desire for our service not to be used to sow confusion, division or destruction.”
Twitter cancelling users “is a business decision”, says Jack Dorsey
The Twitter CEO said if they stopped moderating content, they would be left with a service no user or advertiser would want to use.
“Ultimately we’re running a business, and a business wants to grow the number of customers it serves. Enforcing policy is a business decision,” Dorsey says.
Yes or no, do you bear do you bear responsibility for “Stop the Steal” movement?
Twitter’s Jack Dorsey was the only big tech CEO to put his hands up and accept responsibility to the direct yes or no question.
“Yes but you also have to take into consideration a broader ecosystem, it’s not just about the technology platforms we use,” Dorsey said.
His response came after this from Zuckerburg: “Our responsibility is to make systems…”
And this from Google’s Pichai: “We always feel a deep sense of responsibility but we worked hard this election effort was one of our most substantive efforts.”
Zuckerberg dismisses Facebook’s role in polarising US, blaming ‘political and media environment’
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has cast doubt on his company’s platforms responsibility for increased polarisation and political division in the US during his opening remarks to a Congressional committee examining social media’s role in promoting “extremism and misinformation”.
“I believe that the division we see today is primarily the result of a political and media environment that drives Americans apart, and we need to reckon with that if we’re going to make progress,” he said in a virtual conference on Thursday.
The Independent’s Alex Woodward has more on the opening statements.
Zuckerberg mismisses Facebook’s role in polarising US, blaming ‘political and media environment’
Facebook, Google and Twitter CEOs face members of Congress for hearing on social media’s role promoting ‘extremism and misinformation’
Joe Biden begins first press conference as president
Of the 15 presidents of the past 100 years, all but for Biden have held a press conference within 33 days of being sworn into office. Donald Trump did it 27 days in, while Barack Obama outdid Trump by a week at 20 days.
Follow live with The Independent.
Associated Press asks first questions on immigration, gun control and climate change
Immigration, gun control and climate change are the first topics questioned, with the AP asking “how far he would go” to achieve his presidential agenda.
“The most urgent problem I stated from the outset was Covid-19 and the dislocation for millions and millions of Americans,” Biden said.
The other problems on immigration and gun-control were “long-term” problems.
“But the fundamental problem is getting people some peace of mind so they can go to bed at night,” he said of overcoming the pandemic lockdown hardships.
Biden says GOP dividing the country if they don’t get on board with his agenda
“My Republican colleagues are going to have to determine whether or not we want to work together or decide if the way in which they want to proceed is to, just decide to divide the country,” Biden says.
‘I should be flattered’: Joe Biden admits migrants coming because of his presidency
And it’s happening because he’s a “good guy”, the president said.
“I guess I should be flattered people are coming because I’m the nice guy, that’s the reason it’s happening, that I’m a decent man, or however it’s phrased. That’s why they’re coming, Biden’s a good guy,” he says.
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