US President Joe Biden speaks to the media as he walks to Marine One prior to departure from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, March 31, 2023, as he travels to Mississippi to view tornado damage before going to Delaware for the weekend. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP) (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)
President Joe Biden is aware of his predecessor’s arraignment and will “obviously” catch the news, the White House said Tuesday, but emphasized that it is “not his focus.”
“Look, the president’s going to focus on the American people like he does every day. This is not something that is a focus for him. He is going to focus on things like making sure we continue to lower prices for the American people,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in response to a question from CNN’s MJ Lee.
“Of course, this is playing out on many of the networks here on a daily basis for hours and hours, so obviously, he will catch part of the news when he has a moment to catch up on the news of the day, but this is not his focus for today,” she said.
Biden is set to meet with his Council of Advisors on Science and Technology this afternoon for a conversation on artificial intelligence as former President Trump’s arraignment takes place in Manhattan.
Jean-Pierre declined to comment on the specifics of the case, but reiterated that Biden was “not given a heads up” on the indictment and was briefed by White House chief of staff Jeff Zients on the developments as they were reported in the media.
Biden has repeatedly declined to comment on the case, but told CNN on Monday in Minnesota that he has faith in the New York Police Department and responded affirmatively when asked if he has faith in the legal system.
From CNN’s Betsy KleiCredit:
