Biden on the Prigozhin Plane Crash After a Spin Class: 'I've Been Working Out for the Last Hour and a Half' (August 23, 2023)

The plane said to be carrying Russian mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin had just gone down, and President Joe Biden was coming out of a spin class at Lake Tahoe. Asked if Vladimir Putin was behind it, Biden said: “There’s not much that happens in Russia that Putin’s not behind. But I don’t know enough to know the answer. I’ve been working out for the last hour and a half,” according to the White House pool report of Aug. 23, 2023 [1].

“You may recall, when I was asked about this by you, I said I’d be careful what I rode in. I don’t know for a fact what happened but I’m not surprised,” Biden told a reporter the pool identified as Steve Holland [1].

The news had broken while the President was inside a fitness studio at a shopping center. “The President has been briefed on the reported plane crash in Russia,” the White House told the pool, and minutes later: “The President has also been briefed on reports of the active shooter situation in Pittsburgh.” [1]

The White House had also told reporters what Biden was doing. “The President, First Lady, and members of their family are taking a Pilates class followed by a spin class,” it said [1].

The video above shows Biden at Lake Tahoe on Aug. 23, 2023. Quotes are from the White House pool reports, published by the American Presidency Project [1][2][3][4].

”I Have None”

Biden was also asked whether he would watch the Republican presidential debate. “I’m going to try to see — get as much as I can, yes,” he said. Asked what his expectations were, “he smiled broadly and laughed. ‘I have none,’” the pool reported [1].

“He was wearing a blue ballcap, aviators, and a teal sweater,” the pooler wrote [1].

A Banana Blueberry Smoothie

The pool first reported that Biden left with what looked like iced coffee. Then came a correction: “POTUS appeared to have a purple juice or smoothie upon his exit, as opposed to an iced coffee.” [1]

Then came the final word. “The WH says that he had a banana blueberry smoothie,” the pooler wrote [1].

“The family was in pelodog, a Pilates and cycle studio,” the pool reported. Biden’s motorcade left the shopping center at 12:05 p.m. local time [1].

A Family Trip

While the pool waited outside the studio, “we spotted several other family members, including granddaughters Maisy and Naomi, and her husband Peter Neal. At one point, Hunter Biden’s young son, Beau, ran along the sidewalk and into the fitness studio,” the pooler wrote [1].

The family had flown out together on Aug. 18. “Someone was carrying a ‘Happy Birthday’ balloon because the family is celebrating Maisy’s 23rd birthday,” the pool reported from the motorcade route [2].

A Week at Tom Steyer’s House

The trip began five days earlier, right after Biden hosted the leaders of Japan and South Korea at Camp David. The White House schedule said he and the first lady would return to Lake Tahoe after Maui and “remain until Saturday.” [2] “President Biden lifted off from Camp David at 6:16 p.m. on his way to Lake Tahoe for a week of vacation, interrupted on Monday by a visit to Maui to survey the wildfire devastation,” the foreign pool reported on Aug. 18. “His path to the helicopter was far away from where the pool was and he did not stop to take questions.” [2]

At Joint Base Andrews, Biden “gave a little wave and smile to the pool, then boarded without stopping to talk,” the pool wrote [2]. The flight to Nevada brought no questions either. “AF1 landed at Reno-Tahoe International Airport at 8:28 pm local time (11:28 pm ET). No one came back to visit during the flight,” the pool reported [2].

That night, the White House said who owned the house. “The First Family is renting a private home for their stay in Lake Tahoe. The home belongs to Tom Steyer and Kat Taylor. The First Family is renting the home for fair market value.” [2]

“Update: The White House says the residence is a rental, not a borrowed home,” the pool reported [2].

Quiet Days

On Aug. 19, Biden went to Our Lady of Tahoe Catholic Church. “He did not address the pool,” the pooler wrote [3].

On Aug. 22, the day after his visit to Maui, the White House called a lid before 1 p.m. local time. “The President was briefed this morning on extreme weather across the country. He also spoke to National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan for an update,” it said [4].

By the Numbers

1 hour and a half: how long Biden said he had been working out [1].
6:16 p.m.: when Biden left Camp David for Lake Tahoe on Aug. 18 [2].
12:54 p.m.: when the White House called a lid on Aug. 22, local time [4].
2: classes the Biden family took that morning, Pilates and spin [1].

What Happened Next

The questions moved to the briefing room. Six days later, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked who was responsible for the crash. For her answer, see HYGO News’ page on Aug. 29, 2023.

For Biden’s visit to Lahaina in between, see the page on Aug. 21, 2023.