Biden in Hanoi: 'I Don't Want to Contain China,' a 'Lying, Dog-Faced Pony Soldier' and 'I'm Going to Go to Bed' (September 10, 2023)

Near the end of a five-day trip around the world, President Joe Biden held an evening news conference in Hanoi, Vietnam. He opened by checking the time. “Good evening, everyone. It is evening, isn’t it? [ Laughter ] This around-the-world in 5 days is interesting, isn’t it?” Biden said [1].

He closed the same way. “But I tell you what, I don’t know about you, but I’m going to go to bed,” Biden said, as a reporter shouted another question [1][2].

The video above shows part of the Sept. 10, 2023, news conference. Quotes are from the official transcript published by the American Presidency Project [1].

”King Mohammed VII—VI, I Should Say”

Biden began with condolences for the earthquake in Morocco. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Morocco and my friend King Mohammed VII—VI, I should say,” he said [1].

Then he explained the rules. “And now, I will take your questions. Let me see. They told me—they gave me five people here,” Biden said [1].

”I Don’t Want to Contain China”

A Reuters reporter said China had “accused the United States of containing China.” Biden answered: “And so, really, what this trip was about—it was less about containing China. I don’t want to contain China. I just want to make sure that we have a relationship with China that is on the up and up, squared away, everybody knows what it’s all about” [1].

He also gave China’s president a new title. “I think that Prime Minister Xi—I mean, Xi has some—some difficulties right now,” Biden said. “I want to see China succeed economically, but I want to see them succeed by the rules” [1].

”A Lying, Dog-Faced Pony Soldier”

Asked about climate change, Biden told a story his brother likes to quote, from a John Wayne movie. In it, he said, an Indian “points to the Union soldier and says, ‘He’s a lying, dog-faced pony soldier’” [1].

“Well, there’s a lot of lying, dog-faced pony soldiers out there about global warming, but not anymore,” Biden said [1].

”I’m Just Following My Orders Here”

Biden then turned to his aides. “I’m just following my orders here. Staff, is there anybody I haven’t spoken to?” he asked. When several reporters called out, he said: “No, I ain’t calling on you. I’m calling on—I said there were five questions” [1].

”Softballs”

Voice of America’s Anita Powell got the last question. “I hope you didn’t think that calling only on woman would get you softballs tonight,” she said, to laughter. “Oh, I know better than that,” Biden answered [1].

She asked why he and Xi had not spoken in 10 months. “It would be better if I did, but I think—look, this is not a criticism; it’s an observation: He has his hands full right now,” Biden said. “He may have a game plan; he just hasn’t shared it with me” [1].

”Third World—the—Excuse Me”

After Biden said he was going to bed, a reporter asked about his meeting in India with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Fox News reported [2]. “What did you talk about with Mr. Li?” the reporter asked [1].

“We talked about stability,” Biden said. “We talked about making sure that the Third World—the—excuse me—‘Third World’—the Southern Hemisphere had access to change” [1].

”Are You Worried About Your Son Being Indicted?”

Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre cut it off. “This ends the press conference. Thanks, everyone,” she said. Reporters kept shouting. “Are you putting U.S. strategic interests above human rights here in Vietnam?” one asked. Another asked: “Are you worried about your son being indicted, Mr. President?” [1]

By the Numbers

5: days of the “around-the-world” trip, per Biden [1].
5: questions his staff gave him, per Biden [1].
10 months: how long Biden and Xi had gone without speaking, per the VOA question [1].
4 days: the time between the shouted question and Hunter Biden’s indictment [1][3].
22 years: the streak of presidents spending 9/11 at an attack site or the White House, which ended in Alaska, per Fox News [4].

What Happened Next

Hunter Biden was indicted. Four days later, “Hunter Biden was indicted Thursday on federal gun charges out of Special Counsel David Weiss’ investigation,” Fox News reported [3]. For how that case ended, see HYGO News’ page on the Camp David news conference.

Biden spent 9/11 in Alaska. On the way home, Biden stopped at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage. “With the move, he became the first U.S. president in 22 years to neither spend the day at an attack site nor the White House,” Fox News reported [4].

There, Biden said: “Ground Zero in New York, and I remember standing there the next day and looking at the building” [5]. “This claim is false,” Check Your Fact found, citing C-SPAN video of Biden in the Senate in Washington “voting on a resolution to condemn the attacks that day” [6]. The White House pointed to a visit “on September 20, 2001,” Fox News reported [4].

Biden also said: “Because through this military base is located on Ground Zero—isn’t—we know that distance did not dull or diminish the pain we felt all across the Nation on September 11” [5].