On 10/17/2022, a reporter asked White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, “President Biden hasn’t attended any rallies or events in public in support of candidates in recent weeks. With the midterms just three weeks away, will we begin to see him do that more? What was — what will his schedule look like?”
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Wait, can you — wait, can you say your first part?
Reporter: He hasn’t attended any rallies or public-facing events with candidates in recent weeks. What will his schedule look like in the coming weeks as the midterms get closer?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: … I would point you to this — the President’s most recent trip to — out West. So it’s kind of a bizarre question to ask because he was very visible last — this weekend and last week. He was out there …
Reporter: Karine, a lot of the places that you mentioned were private fundraisers or official events. Will we be seeing him appear alongside candidates in public? Is that intentional to not have him do stumping with these candidates and supporting his party?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: … But I will point you to Portland, Oregon; I will point you to LA, California …
Reporter: He’s giving a speech tomorrow in D.C. He’s given fundraisers in New Jersey and New York. He campaigned with Democratic governor candidates in Massachusetts and Maryland. And then he was in California, Oregon, and Colorado next week. Yes, he has plans to be in Pennsylvania and Florida, but behind closed doors, with two of the Democratic candidates. There’s a White House Office of Political Affairs. Have they been getting phone calls from candidates in some of those other states — Arizona, Nevada, Georgia, Wisconsin, Michigan — to say, “We’d love to have the President come”?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, I don’t have any calls to read out. We don’t have any calls or personal conversations to read out. Look, the way we see it — and the … Look, he’s going to go where he is needed the most. And at this time, we’re not — we don’t have just any additional — we just don’t have any additional travel to lay out for you.
Reporter: As the President prepares to appear with John Fetterman later this week in Pennsylvania, there’s obviously, as you know, been a lively debate over Fetterman’s health following his stroke. Do you know if the President believes there is any sort of reason for concern on that point specifically?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: … the President has found him to be an impressive individual and — who is just as capable as al- — who has been — who’s just as capable as always, and who is — who is carrying out his office. He’s currently the Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania, as we know, and he’s doing that with great ability and heartfelt concern for the people of the Commonwealth. So, yes, the President feels that he is — he is very much capable of doing the job.
Reporter: Following up on the western swing last week, the President visited Colorado, California, Oregon. At one point, a couple of representatives from Nevada joined him in California. Why didn’t the President visit Nevada or Arizona on that trip? And does he have any plans to visit those two states in the next three weeks?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Again, I just want to be careful. I know you didn’t ask it in the frame of the midterms. I know that; I’m just being very careful here.
Reporter: ???
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I know. I’m just being very careful. Hatch Act … you know, where he is needed, he will go. And if we have more to add to his travel, we sur- — we certainly will. As you know, he’s going to Pennsylvania on Thursday. And November 1st, he’s going to be going to Florida.
Reporter: But why not Nevada and Arizona during the western swing?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I just said: If we have more to share, we certainly will. I don’t have anything else to add to what I just laid out.
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WH to reporter: bizarre question to ask, can’t name a single swing-state Demo asked Biden to come campaign