Biden Reads “End of Message” Off Teleprompter at Dole Ceremony, White House Says He Will Veto Vaccine Mandate Block

On 12/9/2021, President Biden read a teleprompter instruction aloud during his remarks honoring the late Senator Bob Dole as he lay in state at the U.S. Capitol. During the same day, the White House confirmed Biden would veto bipartisan legislation to block his vaccine mandate, Biden stumbled over the phrase “LGBTQ-plus community,” and his NEC director dismissed inflation data as “backward looking."

"End of Message”

Biden and congressional leaders gathered at the U.S. Capitol to honor Senator Bob Dole. Biden delivered remarks about Dole’s legacy as a war hero and public servant. “We meet here in the very heart of American democracy — the Capitol of the United States of America — to receive a hero of that democracy for a final time,” Biden said.

He described Dole as “a beacon of hope, a source of comfort in crisis, a shield against those who threaten freedom.” Biden spoke of national unity, saying, “Our nation has certainly faced periods of division. But at the end of the day, we’ve always found ways to come together. We can find that unity again.”

Then Biden appeared to read the teleprompter instruction itself: “Then the message said — end of message.” The verbal slip immediately drew attention as another example of Biden reading stage directions aloud rather than just the speech text.

Biden and Jill Awkwardly Switch Seats

During the ceremony at the Rotunda, Biden and first lady Jill Biden walked past Vice President Harris and her husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, who looked over at Biden. After a few moments, Biden whispered something to Jill before the two were caught awkwardly switching seats for no apparent reason in the middle of the solemn proceeding.

LGBTQ Stumble at Virtual Summit

Biden also stumbled over words while reading from a teleprompter during the Virtual Summit for Democracy. He attempted to say “LGBTQ-plus community” but mangled the delivery, saying “LGBTQ-L community… plus community.” The stumble added to a growing list of verbal difficulties Biden experienced while reading prepared remarks.

Psaki: Biden Will Veto Vaccine Mandate Block

Press Secretary Jen Psaki confirmed that Biden would veto bipartisan legislation to block the federal vaccine mandate if it reached his desk. “We’re hopeful that this doesn’t come to the president’s desk,” Psaki said. “I can’t make a prediction of that. I’d leave that to the vote counters or the whip counters in the House. But if it comes to his desk, he will veto it.”

The Senate had been debating a resolution to block Biden’s vaccine mandate for private employers, with some Democrats potentially joining Republicans in support.

Biden Stares Blankly, Refuses to Answer on Russia

Biden refused to answer reporters’ questions on Russia and Ukraine, staring blankly as staff ushered the media out of the room. The silence came amid rising tensions over Russia’s military buildup along the Ukrainian border and growing calls for a firm U.S. response.

Psaki Refuses Year-End Press Conference Commitment

A reporter noted that Biden had spoken about global press freedom during the summit and asked if he would commit to holding a year-end press conference. Psaki deflected. “I would say the president answers questions multiple times a week. I think he’s done it already several times this week,” she said. “I don’t have a formal press conference with embroidered cushions to predict for you at this point in time.”

NEC Director Dismisses Inflation as “Backward Looking”

Biden’s National Economic Council director Brian Deese dismissed the latest inflation numbers, saying the data was “by definition backward looking.” He acknowledged that “outside forecasters expect those data to continue to show price increases to remain at elevated levels” but argued the administration’s economic recovery positioned the country well.

When pressed on whether Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell was right that inflation would last through the next year, Deese pivoted. “Most outside independent forecasters continue to see price increases moderating and moderating meaningfully over the course of next year,” he said. But he conceded: “The risk exists that price increases become entrenched in the long term. That’s something that would be a real problem for the economy.”

When asked directly if “transitory” was still the right word for inflation, given Powell’s own abandonment of the term, Deese avoided the question. “What we believe is that price increases, elevated at the level that we’re seeing, hit American families in their pocketbooks, and we need to do everything that we can to address those directly,” he said — dodging twice on whether higher prices were no longer “transitory” and suggesting “price increases” may be “long term.”

Key Takeaways

Biden read the teleprompter instruction “end of message” aloud during his speech honoring Senator Bob Dole at the U.S. Capitol.
Biden and Jill Biden were caught awkwardly switching seats during the ceremony at the Rotunda for no apparent reason.
Psaki confirmed Biden would veto bipartisan legislation to block the federal vaccine mandate if it reached his desk.
NEC director Brian Deese dismissed inflation data as “backward looking” while conceding the risk that price increases could become “entrenched in the long term.”
Psaki refused to commit to Biden holding a year-end press conference, despite his remarks on global press freedom at the Summit for Democracy.

Transcript Highlights

The following is transcribed from the video audio (unverified — AI-generated from audio).

A beacon of hope, a source of comfort and crisis, a shield against those who threaten freedom. Our nation has certainly faced periods of division. But at the end of the day, we’ve always found ways to come together. We can find that unity again. Then the message said — end of message.
Empowering the LGBTQ community plus community.
We’re hopeful that this doesn’t come to the president’s desk. But if it comes to his desk, he will veto it.
Tomorrow we will get data on consumer prices for November. I’m not going to attempt to predict what those data are. Outside forecasters expect those data to continue to show price increases to remain at elevated levels.
The risk exists that price increases become entrenched in the long term. That’s something that would be a real problem for the economy.
I don’t have a formal press conference with embroidered cushions to predict for you at this point in time.

Full transcript: 621 words transcribed via Whisper AI.