KJP Calls It “Bizarre” to Ask Why Biden Isn’t Campaigning With Democrats — Reporter Points Out His Events Were Private Fundraisers, Not Public Rallies

On 10/17/2022, a reporter asked White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre why President Biden hadn’t attended any public rallies or campaign events with Democratic candidates with the midterms just three weeks away. KJP called it “a bizarre question to ask,” insisting Biden “was very visible this weekend and last week.” The reporter pushed back, noting that the events KJP cited were “private fundraisers or official events” — not public campaign appearances alongside candidates. KJP deflected by naming cities Biden had visited without addressing the distinction between official travel and public campaign stumping.

”Will We Begin to See Him Do That More?”

The reporter’s question was direct and well-documented. “President Biden hasn’t attended any rallies or events in public in support of candidates in recent weeks,” the reporter said. “With the midterms just three weeks away, will we begin to see him do that more? What will his schedule look like?”

The question touched on one of the most sensitive dynamics of the 2022 midterm cycle: Democratic candidates across the country were actively avoiding public appearances with Biden. His approval rating hovered in the low 40s nationally and was underwater in every competitive swing state. Candidates like Raphael Warnock in Georgia, Mark Kelly in Arizona, and Cheri Beasley in North Carolina had all declined or avoided joint public appearances with the president.

KJP’s first response was revealing: “Wait, can you — wait, can you say your first part?” The request to repeat the question — which was straightforward — suggested either genuine surprise at being asked or a stalling tactic to formulate a response.

”It’s Kind of a Bizarre Question”

KJP’s answer dismissed the premise. “I would point you to the president’s most recent trip to out West,” KJP said. “So it’s kind of a bizarre question to ask because he was very visible this weekend and last week. He was out there.”

Calling a reporter’s legitimate question “bizarre” was a notable departure from standard White House briefing room protocol. Press secretaries routinely faced questions they found inconvenient or unfavorable, but characterizing a factual inquiry as “bizarre” was a form of gaslighting — attempting to make the reporter seem unreasonable for asking an entirely reasonable question.

Biden had indeed traveled to Western states in the preceding weeks. But the nature of those appearances was precisely what the reporter was questioning — a distinction KJP was either unable or unwilling to acknowledge.

”Private Fundraisers or Official Events”

The reporter wasn’t satisfied with the deflection and pressed the distinction. “A lot of the places that you mentioned were private fundraisers or official events,” the reporter said. “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?”

The question exposed the gap between Biden’s travel schedule and actual campaign support. Private fundraisers meant Biden was raising money behind closed doors — no cameras, no public optics of candidates standing alongside an unpopular president. Official events meant presidential business — visiting factories, signing executive actions, delivering policy remarks — that happened to occur in states with competitive races but didn’t require local candidates to appear on stage with Biden.

The distinction mattered enormously. A private fundraiser in California and a public campaign rally in California served completely different political purposes. Fundraisers generated money without creating the photo opportunities and video clips that could be used in opponent attack ads. Public rallies, by contrast, forced candidates to either appear alongside Biden — risking association with his unpopularity — or visibly decline to attend, creating its own negative narrative.

KJP’s Non-Answer

KJP responded by listing locations rather than answering the question. “But I will point you to Portland, Oregon. I will point you to LA, California,” KJP said — naming cities Biden had visited without addressing whether those visits included public campaign events with Democratic candidates.

The response was a textbook example of the KJP briefing room technique that had drawn recurring criticism: responding to a specific question with a tangentially related fact that didn’t answer what was actually asked. The reporter asked about public campaign events with candidates. KJP answered by listing cities on Biden’s travel schedule. The reporter asked about intentional avoidance. KJP named more cities.

The Biden Campaign Liability

The reporter’s question identified a reality that everyone in Washington understood but the White House refused to acknowledge publicly: Biden was a campaign liability. The evidence was overwhelming:

Democratic candidates in every competitive Senate race had either avoided or declined public appearances with the president. Multiple Democratic candidates refused to say whether Biden should run for reelection in 2024. Some wouldn’t even confirm they had voted for Biden in 2020. Biden’s fundraising trips were kept private, preventing the kind of public association that could hurt candidates in swing districts.

The White House’s strategy was to have Biden contribute to the midterm effort through private fundraising and official policy events that generated favorable headlines without requiring vulnerable Democrats to stand next to him. It was the political equivalent of a radioactive substance — useful for generating energy behind shielding, dangerous if exposed in public.

The “Bizarre” Pattern

KJP’s use of “bizarre” to dismiss the question fit a pattern of the Biden White House characterizing unfavorable but accurate reporting as illegitimate. Throughout 2022, KJP and other administration officials had dismissed questions about Biden’s fitness as “bad faith,” described inflation concerns as “high-class problems,” called Republican governors’ migrant transport “stunts,” and characterized various policy critiques as “not grounded in reality.”

The approach treated legitimate press questioning as something between rude and ridiculous — an attitude that contrasted sharply with the administration’s stated commitment to press freedom and transparency. Calling a factual question about the president’s public campaign schedule “bizarre” was not a substantive response; it was an attempt to shame the reporter into not pursuing the line of questioning.

The Midterm Outcome

Biden’s limited public campaign presence became even more notable in the final weeks before the November 2022 elections. While former Presidents Obama and Trump held large public rallies for their respective parties’ candidates, Biden’s public appearances remained largely limited to deep-blue territory — New York, California, Maryland — where his presence wouldn’t harm local Democrats.

The strategy reflected a calculation that Biden’s public support could only help in districts already safely Democratic, while his presence in competitive districts would generate negative attention that outweighed any enthusiasm benefit.

Key Takeaways

• A reporter asked why Biden hadn’t held public campaign events with Democratic candidates three weeks before the midterms; KJP called it “a bizarre question.”
• The reporter noted Biden’s recent events were “private fundraisers or official events” — not public rallies alongside candidates.
• KJP responded by listing cities Biden visited without addressing whether those visits included public campaign appearances.
• Democratic candidates across competitive races were actively avoiding public appearances with Biden due to his low approval ratings.
• The White House’s midterm strategy kept Biden behind closed doors at fundraisers while avoiding the public campaign trail in swing states.

Transcript Highlights

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

• 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?
• It’s kind of a bizarre question to ask because he was very visible this weekend and last week.
• 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?
• I will point you to Portland, Oregon. I will point you to LA, California.

Full transcript: 167 words transcribed via Whisper AI.