White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Tuesday dodged questions about whether President Biden will hold a campaign rally for his 2024 reelection bid.
Mr. Biden announced his campaign for a second term more than a month ago but has yet to hold any rallies or even schedule one through his campaign team.
When pressed about Mr. Biden’s aversion to campaign events, Ms. Jean-Pierre declined to discuss the matter. Instead, she invoked the Hatch Act, a federal law passed in 1939 that bars White House and other executive branch employees from engaging in political activity while on the job.
“We follow the rule of law here. We believe in following the rule of law as it relates to anything that is connected to the campaign — any rallies, any events, any endorsement — anything that is connected to the 2024 reelection, that is certainly not going to come from here,” she said. “It is going to come from his campaign and/or the DNC.”
During his 2020 campaign, Mr. Biden kept a low profile as the COVID-19 pandemic limited social activities and large gatherings. He largely limited his campaign to virtual events from the basement of his Delaware home, saying he did not want to spread the disease or risk catching the virus himself.
While Mr. Biden hunkered down in Delaware, his opponent, then-President Donald Trump, continued to speak at large rallies and campaign events.
But this time around, the COVID-19 pandemic is in the rearview mirror and the Democratic convention in Chicago will be an in-person event. That means Mr. Biden will likely have to make his case directly to the public instead of online.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.