President Biden fell into a lengthy thousand-yard stare while dodging the media this week, saying he would “get in trouble” if he took any questions from reporters.
The president was finishing up a photo-op on Tuesday while announcing a task force to lower the cost of living when reporters tried to launch some queries.
“I have a lot of questions. I better not start the questions. I’ll get in trouble,” Mr. Biden, 81, said after picking up the microphone halfway through his statement.
The Daily Mail reported, “Biden then put the microphone down and froze like a deer in headlights for about 15 seconds as reporters shouted questions at him. The president then muttered something that was inaudible without amplification as everyone left the room.”
The episode came amid renewed questions about Mr. Biden’s mental acuity.
In stark contrast, former President Donald Trump, aged 77, exhibited vigor in a 20-minute address after sweeping the majority of the Super Tuesday primaries.
Mr. Biden has long dodged reporters. During past events like the G7 summit press conference in 2021, Mr. Biden alluded to the guidance of his staff members as he moderated the amount and type of press engagement.
After taking a question from The Associated Press related to interactions with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Mr. Biden moved on to Jennifer Jacobs of Bloomberg for a second question, but then cut it off saying, “I’m sorry, I’m going to get in trouble with staff if I don’t do this the right way.”
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