Pelosi Won’t Say Biden Should Run in 2024; Harris Calls Migrant Buses “Playing Games”; KJP Blames “Communist Regimes” for 121% Surge

On 9/22/2022, Pelosi refused to say Biden should run again in 2024, instead praising him for “defeating Donald Trump” and saying “I’m not going into politics about whether the president should run.” Biden himself had opened the door by saying it was “much too early to make the decision.” Harris called Republican migrant buses “political stunts with real human beings” while KJP blamed a 121% surge in border crossings on migrants fleeing “communist regimes” in Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba. A border official said many migrants “really don’t have any problems in their country” but came because “it’s open.”

Pelosi Won’t Endorse 2024 Run

A reporter asked Pelosi directly whether Biden should run again. “I’m wondering if you think he should run in 2024 or if you think the party should put in a real score — might be better?”

“President Biden is the president of the United States. He did a great service to our country — he defeated Donald Trump. Let’s not forget that,” Pelosi said. “I’m not going into politics about whether the president should run or not.”

The non-endorsement was notable. Pelosi praised Biden’s 2020 victory but would not say he should seek a second term — joining a growing chorus of Democrats who avoided the question.

Biden: “Much Too Early”

A reporter pressed KJP on Biden’s own shift. “Over the weekend he said it was ‘much too early to make the decision’ on whether he will run — opening up the door to potentially not seeking another term. Were you surprised?”

“He followed up and said he intends to run. That’s basically been the place he has been,” KJP said. “He has said that. The vice president has said that.”

Harris: “Playing Games” With People

Harris was asked about DeSantis flying migrants to Martha’s Vineyard. “Can you understand the political point that DeSantis and Abbott are trying to make?”

“They’re playing games. These are political stunts with real human beings,” Harris said. She called the migrants “human beings, real people who have fled harm, came to the United States seeking refuge, asylum” and said the governors’ actions were “the height of irresponsibility” and “a dereliction of duty.”

121% Increase — “A New Type of Migration”

KJP framed the surge as a new phenomenon. “We have seen a 121% increase with Venezuelans, Nicaraguans, and Cubans since last year. These are places that have communist regimes, and they are trying to leave,” KJP said. “We have a new type of migration that’s happening.”

A border official offered a different perspective. “A lot of immigrants coming in really are not desperate because they’re being chased by the cartels or persecuted by governments. A lot of them are saying this is the chance to get over to the USA. They really don’t have any problems in their country, but it’s open — let’s come over now,” the official said.

”Decimated System” — Again

When asked about American frustration with the border, KJP returned to the standard talking point. “Under the previous administration, they decimated a system that was designed to address immigration. We’ve been spending the last 18 months reconstructing that system,” KJP said.

Harris described her “root causes strategy.” “What are the causes of people leaving? We have now raised $3.2 billion to help folks in those countries stay,” Harris said. “We should have started it 25 years ago, but we’ve now started it.”

Harris on Misinformation

Harris made an unusual appeal. “The need for the most trusted elected officials to clarify the state of the law, in the midst of vast confusion — the need of you as the truth-tellers to sort out fiction from fact and combat misinformation and disinformation, which creates a situation ripe for predatory practices,” Harris said — framing media coverage of the border crisis as a misinformation problem rather than a policy failure.

Key Takeaways

Pelosi praised Biden for “defeating Donald Trump” but would not say he should run again in 2024: “I’m not going into politics about that.”
Biden said it was “much too early” to decide on running — a shift from prior statements; KJP insisted he “intends to run.”
Harris called Republican migrant buses “political stunts with real human beings” and “a dereliction of duty.”
KJP blamed a 121% surge in crossings on “communist regimes” in Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba — “a new type of migration.”
A border official said many migrants “don’t have problems in their country” but came because “it’s open.”

Transcript Highlights

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

Should Biden run in 2024? He did a great service — he defeated Donald Trump. I’m not going into politics about whether he should run.
He said it was much too early to make the decision. He followed up and said he intends to run.
They’re playing games. These are political stunts with real human beings.
We’ve seen a 121% increase — Venezuelans, Nicaraguans, Cubans fleeing communist regimes. A new type of migration.
A lot of them don’t have problems in their country. It’s open. Let’s come over now.
They decimated a system designed to address immigration. We’ve been reconstructing it for 18 months.

Full transcript: 779 words transcribed via Whisper AI.