Karine Jean-Pierre White House Press Briefing on 9/04/24

Good afternoon everybody. So this week, kids across the country are heading back to school for the new school year. Today is supposed to be an exciting day for students and parents, but instead we're seeing yet another horrific shooting. Now, as a parent myself, I know the anxiety that comes with sending your kid out into the world every day, living with the real fear of the worst, the worst, can happen. So please know that our hearts are with those families in Winder, Georgia who are forced to face this act of senseless violence. I want to let you know that the president and the vice president have both been briefed and his administration will continue coordinating with federal, state, and local officials as we receive more information. We're grateful for the brave first responders who are on the scene and we stand by, we stand ready, to provide support as needed. (01:19) As the president has said time and time again, this is not normal. This is not normal. Students and teachers deserve to know that their schools are safe. They should focus on learning not lockdowns. While the president and vice president have taken historic action to reduce gun violence, more must be done to keep our schools and communities safe. We continue to call on Congress to do something, to do something. We need universal background checks. We need to ban assault weapons and high capacity magazines, require safe storage of firearms, invest in violence prevention programs, and pass a national red flag law. (02:12) Enough is enough, and I cannot say this enough, which is enough is enough. We cannot allow this to happen in our communities. We cannot allow this to happen in our schools. So we have to do everything that we can to keep our children safe, to keep the people who are supposed to protect our children, who they are supposed to learn from, safe and enough is enough. Congress needs to act. (02:43) Now turning to my colleague from NSC who's here to discuss the latest Biden-Harris administration actions today against foreign actors attempting to covertly influence our elections and undermine confidence in our democratic institution. Admiral John Kirby will discuss the coordinated actions we are taking in addition to other foreign policy news of the day. Admiral, thank you.

Good afternoon, everybody. I think as you saw today, the Department of Justice, Department of Treasury and the State Department took a series of coordinated actions against foreign actors associated with the Russian government who are attempting to covertly influence our elections. Specifically, all these federal agencies revealed activities directed and funded by RT, formerly known as Russia Today, to covertly spread Russian government propaganda with the aim of reducing international support for Ukraine, bolstering pro-Russian policies and interests and influencing voters here in the US and in foreign elections as well. (03:50) RT is no longer just a propaganda arm of the Kremlin. It's being used to advance covert Russian influenced actions. Additionally, the Russian government is laundering influence and information operations through Kremlin-controlled commercial firms such as the Social Design Agency that work extensively at the direction and control of the Russian Federation. All of this activity was designed to funnel disinformation through outlets and social media influencers that a certain number of Americans find credible. (04:21) We will not stand for that. So in addition to the law enforcement actions that were announced just a little bit ago by the Attorney General, the State Department announced a new policy to restrict visas for employees of Kremlin-supported media organizations that are affiliated with these covert activities. And they released a ten-million-dollar reward for justice for individuals associated with a Russian hacking group that's named Russian. Angry Hackers Did It or RaHDit for short, as it's also known. (04:48) The State Department also designated six RT-affiliated entities as foreign missions, a designation that now requires them to report information about their personnel and their property to the United States government. For their part, the Treasury Department is sanctioning six executives and officials affiliated with RT, three executives associated with other Kremlin-controlled organizations. And additionally, the Treasury Department is designating ANO Dialog, a Russian government founded nonprofit that uses artificial intelligence to create and distribute online Russian disinformation for use against election campaigns. The Treasury included ANO Dialog's subsidiary and its executive officer in its sanctions as well. (05:32) Now, Russia, of course, is not alone in its desire to destabilize our democracy. As you may recall, just last month, the United States government disclosed that Iran engaged in a series of cyber actions with the intent to gain access to the private communications of former President Trump and his campaign by way of associated political advisors. Those efforts were clearly intended to denigrate former President Trump and to compromise his political campaign. We made it clear then and we make it clear again today that this is unacceptable and we won't stand for it either. (06:03) Let me close with just two more thoughts if I could. First and most importantly, we are committed to protecting our democracy and our elections regardless of the source or the target trying to interfere. As today's actions made clear, we have the ability to monitor these threats, to thwart them, to identify the actors involved and to hold the actors involved accountable. We will continue to do so. These actions are the result of months of hard investigative and interagency cooperation, and we're grateful to law enforcement, diplomatic intelligence, and treasury professionals who brought it all together. They put the interest of the American people first, right where it belongs. (06:42) That brings me to my second point. The hard work now must continue. No resting, no waiting, no backing off. The American people can rest assured that the men and women of the federal government are at this very moment laboring to prevent future abuses and interference in our electoral process. But this cannot alone be the work of government. Every citizen bears a hand. We urge all Americans to read through the indictment today, study the sanctions and the designations that we announced. All of it's online, all of it is readily available to you. (07:10) Likewise, please take time to consider how you get your news and information. It can be difficult, of course, to be absolutely certain of its authenticity, especially given the covert tactics of groups like RT. But with time, some patience and a firm reliance on credible and established media outlets, that uncertainty can be greatly reduced. As President Biden has said, democracy can at times be fragile, but it is also inherently resilient. We all need to work together as Americans to ensure that resilience. And that's it. Thank you.

Thanks. First on this disinformation campaign. Can you talk a little bit more about why you're unveiling this now? And secondly is just, do you see this as just the tip of the sword? Is there more out there? And the why now question is basically, I think in some ways a lot of Americans would say about Russian disinformation, not surprising, and may in some ways question why is the administration doing this so close to the election? And I may be answering my own question a little bit here, but if you could just talk to the timing. And then secondly, has there been any more meetings with senior officials and Israelis today regarding the ceasefire or the situation on the Israel- Lebanon border?

Okay, there's a lot there on the why now, and I think the Attorney General talked about this. I mean, the actions that they announced today, and of course it was coordinated with the announcements by State and Treasury all really reflected where they were in the investigative process. And as the Attorney General said, [inaudible 00:08:42], it's still an ongoing investigation so I wouldn't rule out anything in terms of any future actions that might be taken depends on where this investigation takes us. (08:51) So the why now was really driven by the progress of the certainty they had and what they had uncovered and the ability that they believe they had to take the actions in a way that were commensurate with the goals of the investigation. So it was all really timed to the investigation. That's all. You asked for, tip of the spear. But let me go back to you also said people are maybe shrugging about this because, well, it's just... I mean, obviously people can have their own views about whether they're surprised or not that Russia might be trying to interfere in our election, but we're not taking it lightly. Nobody's shrugging here because it's that important. It's that important to convey to the American people that we are taking the safety and security of our electoral process seriously. (09:37) So nobody's shrugging about it and we're going to constantly monitor, as I said, these threats, be able to thwart them when we see them and identify and hold the actors accountable. On your second question about the ceasefire talks, I have no additional specific meetings to talk about today, except that even today we are in touch with our counterparts in Qatar in Israel and certainly in Egypt about trying to see if we can get a proposal that can be finally culminated and a ceasefire deal can be achieved. So those conversations are active even today.

There was a report that Jake, Amos Hochstein and Brett McGurk had a virtual meeting today with Dermer and I think some other Israeli officials. Is that not true?

I won't confirm any specific individual sessions except to tell you that even today there have been ongoing conversations with our counterparts as you would expect that it would be. So even though there's not teams meeting in Doha or Cairo right now, it's not like the effort has lapsed. [inaudible 00:10:44].

Thanks Karine. Thanks Admiral. On the Russian interference, does there any indication of at what level this has being currently approved in Russia? I mean, does this go up to Putin's level, for example? And secondly, is there any sign of this disinformation favoring one or other of the candidates in the US election?

We believe Mr. Putin is [inaudible 00:11:05] of these actions. As for your second question, I think look, in Iran's case, it was very clear, as I mentioned in my opening statement, and I think the attorney general did too, very clear that they were trying to denigrate former President Trump and involve themselves in his campaign to their detriment. I would say though what we talked about on Russia, they're certainly trying to sow discord, feed disinformation and try to put narratives out there through voices that the American people might find credible that support their policies, that support their interests, such as trying to diminish support in Ukraine. So it's very consistent with what we've seen Mr. Putin do in the past.

Thanks, Karine. Thanks Admiral. So as you alluded to, we've been here before and after 2020, the administration imposed sweeping sanctions and also took efforts to prevent this sort of behavior. So why are we here again? And what about today's actions will deter future disinformation?

We're here again because actors like Iran and Russia are at it again and continue to believe that it somehow suits their interest to interfere in our electoral process. So we're we're here because of what they've been doing and we're trying to hold them accountable and to make it harder for them to do this. And that's exactly what the actions today, and I'm sure actions to come as appropriate will do, will make it harder for them. (12:42) Will it make it completely impossible? Probably not because they'll find workarounds. I mean, these are actors in this case driven by the Kremlin itself that are bound to determine, to try to change and influence the way Americans vote when they go in that ballot box. And that's why I said at the end of my opening statement, everybody, not just the federal government, but everybody needs to be concerned about this and everybody needs to bear a hand and pushing back on the influence attempts by Russia.

And then Israel, we asked Karine, not me I wasn't here yesterday, but my colleagues asked Karine in many different ways about the President's recent comments with regard to Netanyahu not doing enough to secure a ceasefire deal. So my question is whether he has directly expressed that himself to Netanyahu that he's not doing enough?

I would say that the conversations with the Prime Minister every time they occur are very direct and very forthright. These are two guys that know each other well and the president, he makes his concerns very plainly known. But for all the things that those two gents may not agree on politically and maybe not even completely agree on in the conduct of the war, they do agree on the central tenet that Israel needs to be defended, that the Israeli people shouldn't have to live next door to that kind of a threat, and that the United States and President Biden specifically is going to continue to stand with Israel as they defend themselves against this threat and to do everything that we can to try to bring this conflict to a close.

And then one quick one, just for clarification, because a lot continues to happen on this front. When the president is calling for a ceasefire, does he mean a permanent ceasefire at this point, or does he mean one long enough to allow the hostages to be released?

Well, it's a little bit of both. I mean, the ceasefire that we're really trying to drive out right now is getting to phase one, which gets you six weeks of no fighting. Six weeks of no fighting, and that means more humanitarian assistance and then getting at least the first tranche of hostages out the ones that are at the most risk, elderly, sick, women in particular. But if you can get through phase one, because once you get into phase one, and that's the goal, just let us get to phase one right now, then you can start building towards phase two. And if you can get to phase two, you can get both sides to phase two, well, then you're talking about a real potential end to the hostilities in general, which of course will be a general ceasefire. So what we're focused on right now is phase one. That's a six-week ceasefire.

Thank you.

Yes, ma'am.

Thanks. Appreciate it. Taking a step back, just to follow up there, has the message from this administration been to families of Americans held hostage still that the only hope for their loved ones is getting to phase one of that ceasefire deal?

Our message to the families, And we conveyed this recently, Mr. Sullivan did, is that we're going to keep doing everything we can to get their loved ones home where they belong, everything we can. Right now, we continue to believe that the best option, the best possible way to do that is through this deal that's been on the table now for how many months. And as I've said before, I'll say so again today, we still believe these gaps can be narrowed, we still believe it's an achievable outcome. Whether we'll get there or not, I don't know, but we still believe that we're close enough that we got to keep our shoulders to the wheel.

I guess my question is, it might be the best option, but is it the only option?

I think it would be imprudent for me to either negotiate the details of this deal in public or to speculate about any other kinds of opportunities might occur if it falls apart. I just don't think it would be useful for me to do that. What I can assure you, and we have assured the families, is that President Biden and this entire national security team is a hundred percent dedicated to getting their loved ones home. Right now, the focus of that energy, the full focus of this administration is trying to get this ceasefire deal in place.

Switching gears to Ukraine, obviously a big shakeup in the government there. Is that the kind of thing that the US is giving advice on or weighing in? Obviously you're in close contact with everyone and Zelensky's government, are they seeking your advice on how to make changes to their government?

No, and we're not offering advice on how to administer their democracy. That's to President Zelensky, it's up to the Ukrainian people. These decisions are President Zelensky's decision to make with respect to who's supporting him in his cabinet. It's not going to change the way we interact with Ukraine. It's certainly not going to change the support that we're going to continue to provide them.

[inaudible 00:17:16] Karine. John, on a different topic, has the president spoken to his counterpart in Japan about plans to block the merger of the US Steel deal, and are you concerned that it will impact relations between the two countries?

No, there's no conversations to speak to Jeff. President has been very consistent on this. He believes that American steel companies ought to be American-owned, and there's a CFIUS process that needs to occur. This is the kind of potential transaction that we believe is suitable for a CFIUS review, and I really can't go beyond that.

Just on a different topic then, back to Israel, do you have a timeline for when this latest

... peace proposal is going to be made.

Ultimately we'd like to have it now. There's a real sense of urgency here to try to get this done. As I said earlier to Amir, I mean even today we've been having very active conversations with our counterparts in the region to try to get it across the finish line. We want to get it done now. It needs to be closed.

Go ahead, Michael.

Thanks, Karine. John, you're obviously willing to acknowledge that Iran's intent in attempting to interfere in the election is to, as you put it, denigrate a former president. You don't seem willing to acknowledge that Russia's intent is to denigrate the vice president. Why is that?

I'm just telling you what we've learned through the investigation and what we've seen, and reiterating what the attorney general laid out this afternoon in terms of what RT has become and what this social design agency was trying to do in cyberspace in terms of sowing disinformation and discord. It's not for some sort of queasiness about talking about their intentions. I'm just laying out what we've seen and what law enforcement actions were taken today and why they were taken today. But obviously when we have something declarative that we can speak to, we'll speak to that.

Okay. Then just on another matter. There's a report that a US service member was detained in Venezuela. Do you have a comment on that?

I can confirm that a US service member was in fact detained in Venezuela. My understanding is that this individual was on some sort of personal travel and not official government business. I think the Pentagon has spoken to this, or plans to provide a little bit more context on it. I really can't go beyond that. Just the last thing I'd say is we're obviously in touch as appropriate as you think we would be with Venezuelan authorities to try to get more knowledge and information about this.

[inaudible 00:19:57].

Does the president feel particular pressure about ... Typically when Americans are detained somewhere overseas, he can act unilaterally with partners and so forth, but can do that. This has been much more complex because of Israel's desire to lead anything. Does he have a separate track for unilateral actions that he could take and does he have a timeline for that?

Nothing's more important to the president than the safety and security of Americans overseas, particularly those that are being held hostage or detained. Of course the president wants to take the widest view possible of options available to him to secure the release of people that are held hostage or detained. You've seen that we have not been loathe to get creative in trying to figure out ways to do that. (20:49) Of course we think through many different options and alternatives. It would be irresponsible if we didn't, Kelly. But, as I said earlier, we still believe ... And part of that is because we know we have gotten this done before with a previous hostage swap. We still believe that this is the best way to move forward. But we'll see where it goes. Obviously I'm certainly not in a position, nor would I ever, to try to close down decision space for the president in terms of options that might be available to him.

Go ahead, Anne.

Oh, thanks so much. Just to put a finer point on Jeff's question from earlier on about this deal deal, can you say there has been reporting out there saying the president is prepared to nix that deal. Can you confirm that reporting?

I cannot.

And one other sort of ... Just a quick question about ... I didn't quite hear what you said about Putin's personal involvement.

He was waiting on this.

He was waiting.

He was waiting on the RT's activities.

Okay. Go ahead.

John, do you see a possible link between Russian attempts to undermine the support for Ukraine as a part of this operation and a six-month delay in approving supplemental in Congress that we had earlier this year? If we can stay on Ukraine, today Russia hit Lviv with ballistic missiles. It's a western city. Seven people were killed, also a seven-year-old girl. Yesterday was Poltava. It's a central eastern Ukrainian city. How does it make sense that Russia keeps on killing Ukrainians while Ukraine ... And killing Ukrainians even far away from the frontlines while Ukraine is not allowed to use provided weapons to hit military targets inside Russia where these attacks are coming from?

Yeah, on your first question, I cannot point to connective tissue between RT's covert influence activities and the delay of the supplemental. You should talk to members of Congress, the Republican side in particular, who held that up. They can talk to their reasons for why they did that. And for that six months. You want to talk about what's going on in Ukraine today. For that six months, Russia made gains, Russia gained ground. They took territory. They killed more Ukrainians. They really put the Ukrainian forces up against it because they didn't have the weapons to fight back. (23:24) That was a tough six months, and it did set back the campaign in Ukraine. As for what's going on now, we condemned it yesterday and we condemn it today what Mr. Putin's doing, hitting civilian infrastructure, especially in advance of winter coming, knocking out energy grids. It's despicable. (23:43) Unfortunately, it's a play right out of his playbook. It's not something new that he hadn't done before. Nothing's changed about our view that Ukraine should be able to use the tools that has available to it to defend itself. That's why air defense continues to be a prominent issue in these security packages that we're giving, so that they can help defend against these attacks on their energy infrastructure. But I-

[inaudible 00:24:05] strike inside Russia-

No, let me get-

... where these attacks are coming from.

I was getting there. I was getting all warmed up. I was getting there. I'm telling you, nothing's changed about our policy with respect to long-range strikes inside Russia and for Russian territory. (24:22) I also think it's important to note, if I might, that 90% of the aircraft that Russia uses for glide bombs and long-range strikes. We've done the math on this. 90% of them lie outside 300 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, deep inside Russia. (24:42) So the argument that somehow if you just give them an ATACM and tell them it's okay, that they're going to be able to go in and hit the majority of the Russian aircraft and air bases that are in fact used to strike them is not true. It's a misconception.

So we don't foresee the change in policy ever?

I don't have any policy changes to speak to today.

[inaudible 00:25:04].

Thank you. First on elections. You know this is an election year. Elections are being held across the world in dozens of countries. During your investigations, did you come across that Russia and Iran, the two countries that you named, try to interfere in the elections for other countries as well?

We believe that they are using these same tools, particularly through RT and covert influence, to affect foreign elections. Yes.

Early this year, in May, one of the senior Russian officials had said that the US is trying to interfere elections in India. Are you aware about that? What is the response to it?

It's not true. It's a ridiculous claim.

Coming to the next question about the president's talk ... Telephone call with Indian Prime Minister Modi after his trip to Russia and Ukraine. Do you think India can play a role in bringing peace, ending the war in any what way it can do it?

Well, we certainly hope so. I mean I've talked about this before. Any nation that is willing to try to help end this war and do so in keeping with President Zelensky's prerogatives, the Ukrainian people's prerogatives, his plan for a just peace, we would certainly welcome a role like that.

And while there is talk about-

I thought you said you only had one more.

Just follow with that, did the two leaders also discuss the situation to Bangladesh?

Yes.

And what was that?

Well, they've shared the concern. The president made clear his continued concerns about safety and security of the people in Bangladesh and the future of their democratic institutions.

[inaudible 00:26:35].

Thanks, Karine. Thanks, John. Going back to the Middle East, the president, on February the 26th, said, "My hope is by next Monday, we will have a ceasefire." On Saturday evening, just passed, he said, "We are on the verge of having an agreement." It was on Monday morning when he was asked whether Prime Minister Netanyahu was doing enough to reach a deal," he replied, "No." Why did it take him more than six months to reach that conclusion?

Conclusion? What conclusion?

That Prime Minister Netanyahu isn't doing enough to get a ceasefire.

The president wants this ceasefire. The president knows that in order to get this ceasefire, it requires leadership, it requires compromise, and it requires a common understanding of exactly how this ceasefire is going to benefit the people of Israel and the people of Gaza. There are substantial things in here for the people of Gaza. (27:38) But if you're asking me to apologize or issue some sort of regret because we want to get caught trying, because we want to see it over the finish line, because there are times when we've been optimistic that we can get there, only to learn that we couldn't. Ain't going to do it.

[inaudible 00:27:57]-

There is nothing wrong with continuing to try to achieve this incredibly difficult negotiation and this outcome, a ceasefire that, again, would visit terrific benefits all around, including in the region. And so, have there been times when we've been stymied? Yes. Have there been times when we thought we were close and turned out that we weren't as close as we thought? Absolutely. And you know what? Today might be one of those days. Even today, I told ... The gaps are ... We can narrow them. Today might be one of those days that maybe I'll prove to be wrong. But no apologies for trying, no apologies for keeping the shoulder to the wheel.

But the issue isn't apologies for trying. The issue is does the administration have a realistic view of Prime Minister Netanyahu's willingness to make peace?

I think we know Prime Minister Netanyahu pretty well, nobody better than Joe Biden.

And he's sincere [inaudible 00:28:50]-

I've answered the question.

Okay. [inaudible 00:28:53]-

Thanks. Earlier this month, Vietnam's president traveled to China and met with their president. We're hearing that Vietnam's president could meet with Biden on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly later this month. Can you confirm this meeting or just comment on the significance of such meeting given the state of-

Which meeting?

UN-

The meeting between President Xi and the president of Vietnam, or a potential one between President Biden?

The potential one between the US and Vietnam.

I don't have a schedule for the UN General Assembly to speak to today. As you know, when the president goes up to New York for the General Assembly, not only does he deliver remarks but he does conduct a series of bilateral discussions. We'll have a much more robust agenda to speak to as we get a little closer to that. (29:38) But, look, on Vietnam, I mean, as you saw, the president upgraded our relationship with Vietnam to a full strategic partnership. That's a big deal. We know that Vietnam values the relationship with the United States, but they're also a neighbor of China. They live in the neighborhood. Of course every nation, every nation's leader there has to determine for themselves what that bilateral relationship with China is going to look like. We respect that.

Okay, [inaudible 00:30:04].

Oh, I'm sorry.

Thank you. I appreciate it.

[inaudible 00:30:06] and we're done.

Okay.

[inaudible 00:30:06].

Thank you. First on Russia, this is the type of activity-

[inaudible 00:30:13].

... that's been going on for the better part of a decade, this usage-

You mean the election interference?

Yeah, and the usage of particularly social media profiles to report false accounts and false narratives. I'm wondering what role do you think the companies and the platforms play in allowing these accounts to proliferate?

These are private companies, and certainly they have to make their own decisions. It's not about ... We obviously are respectful of freedom of speech, and certainly respectful of the private decisions that these companies' leaders have to make. (30:49) But we do think it's important, and today's actions and the way the attorney general laid it out is important, to expose it, to disclose it. It's why in my opening statement, I also urge the American people to be mindful of what's out there, because these fake social media personas and disinformation in cyberspace is incredibly difficult to shut down. (31:17) So, yes, we believe tech companies need to be aware of these activities. We believe ... And they have taken action in the past to shut down accounts that have violated their own policies and procedures. We encourage that as well. But it also is that the consumers too, the reader, the viewer, they have responsibilities as well to make sure that they're getting the best possible, most accurate information, and you're not always going to get it just in an online format.

On the Middle East, the Justice Department also unsealed charges against Hamas leaders for the actions of October 7th. The charges were dated back in February, but one of the Hamas leaders that was named is currently located in Doha. I'm wondering if the US is pressing Qatar to have that leader extradited or arrested.

I don't have any law enforcement activity to speak to about that today.

Is there any impact that you think unsealing these charges from February will have on the negotiations where they stand right now? Why unseal them today?

Well, again, I'll refer you to the Justice Department for the decision to why unseal them. As you rightly said, that the indictments actually date way back. So I'll let the Justice Department speak to the decision about unsealing it. (32:24) As for an effect on the discussions, it was important to unseal those. It was important to make that known that we are holding these Hamas leaders accountable. At the same time, we continue, as I said to Amir, having active discussions about the ceasefire deal. We still believe we can get there.

We'll go to Al Jazeera in the back.

[inaudible 00:32:46].

Go ahead, go ahead. Go ahead.

Thank you so much. Really appreciate it. Very quickly, John.

I'm sorry, [inaudible 00:32:49]. This is the last one.

It's all right, ma'am.

I appreciate it. What pressure is the United States putting on Hamas and Netanyahu to close this deal?

I'm sorry, say it again?

What pressure-

What pressure we're putting on-

Yeah. What pressure is the United States putting on Hamas and Netanyahu to close this deal?

It's not just about twisting arms and putting pressure. It is about having active, what we hope to be constructive conversations about negotiating the final details. That's really where we are in any negotiation. When you get down to the brass tacks, that's when the horse trading really begins and that's where it gets difficult, and that's where we are right now. It's really about trying to get both sides to yes here. Again, I can't negotiate the details in public with you. (33:32) But I heard a question asked yesterday in here about why we're only pressuring one side and not the other. I'll tell you what ... It was a question about how only the prime minister is feeling the heat. I'll tell you, if you're Mr. Sinwar, he's buried in a tunnel somewhere. He ain't coming up for air too much. His forces have been decimated, his resources have dried up, the people he claim to be protecting and defending are living in deplorable conditions because of the war that he started on the 7th of October. (34:13) So I don't buy this notion that there's no pressure being put on Hamas or Hamas leadership, and the indictments that were unsealed yesterday I think prove that as well.

Thank you so much, John.

Thank you.

Appreciate it. Okay. I do have [inaudible 00:34:30].

[inaudible 00:34:32].

Sorry, guys. Have your patience for a second. All right. I do have one more thing before we get going here. So, lastly, today is a day of mixed emotions for us in the press office as we say goodbye to Christine Thompson, who's off to the Capitol Hill. The amount of times I said hello and goodbye to people is ... But this one is very much one of those that goes in the box of we very much do have mixed emotions. (35:04) In a true diva fashion, she's leaving on Beyonce's birthday, because if anyone makes an exit with flair, that is Christine, a proud member of the Beyhive. Christine has worn several different hats in the White House, not just here in the White House Press Office with us. She joined the White House as a summer intern. So if you have ever been an intern here or want to be an intern here, there are many opportunities. (35:34) So went on to serve the first lady's office, comms office, and then moved over to the press team as one of our wranglers, as you all know. She's from Alabama and she is Alabama all the way down with southern charm. Peter, I'm sure you'd appreciate that, quick wit and a hint of shade. We'll miss her dearly, but we know she'll keep moving on up. Here's

Here's to watching her shine on the hill. We are so proud of you and excited for you. And if you have a moment later today, please come to the back, lower press, and say, give your goodbyes and well wishes to Christina. All right. And with that, we end the briefing. I'm just kidding. I do want to say, as I was walking out, we did hit send on a statement from the president on the shooting in Georgia, so hopefully you all have that in your inbox, the awful high school shooting. We will continue to work with local officials, and we stand ready to work with law enforcement on the ground. It is a horrific, horrific day, a sad day when kids go to school and have to deal with that type of violence. And that is something that is... In the president's statement, he talks about how it's personal to him. (36:57) Obviously, he and the first lady, certainly, Dr. Biden, are the deaths of those whose lives were cut too short. These are high school kids, high school kids. And so we certainly will be thinking of them, but we want to continue to do the work on gun violence, obviously not just in Georgia, but across the country. And the president, this is a president, an administration, the Biden-Harris administration who has put that at the forefront and want to continue to see that done. And as I said at the end of my topper earlier is that enough is enough, and congressional members need to act. They need to act. Go ahead, Aamer.

First, thanks for a reminder about Beyoncé's birthday. We'll have to send a text.

That's what we're here for clearly.

But on a more serious note, you've said, and you just said it again, about the need to do work. The president has limited time in office. Does he think, or is he planning to take another shot at gun control with what time he has left?

And I'm glad you said another shot because we were able, this president... And as you talk about the final couple of months of his administration, let's not forget the three and a half years and what the president was able to do, is pass a bipartisan piece of legislation to deal with gun violence, and something that we hadn't seen in decades, in 30 years. And this president, this vice president, was able to make that work and make that come to fruition. Obviously, we need more. We need more work to be done. It cannot stop at that bipartisan legislation. We have to continue. We got to continue to find ways into... And they're actions. They're actions. I talked about them. Banning assault weapons, high-capacity magazines, making sure that we have universal background checks, these are easy things to do. (38:55) We believe congressional Democrats are ready to move. We can't do it by ourselves. Congress can't do it by themselves. They need Republicans to step in and also do this like they did before, like they did before and not too long ago to get this done. So this is personal to the president, he says in his statement. This is personal to the vice president. This is personal to Dr. Biden. This is something that they want to see get done, and we are going to do that. We have the first ever office to prevent gun violence. That is something that the president created. Obviously, the vice president leads that office. And we are all going to continue to find ways to protect our kids, to protect communities. And so yes, this is an important, important continued part of the President's initiative, for the next couple of months, to do just that. And it is Congress. We have laid out... We have laid out what it is that we believe needs to get done. They need to act.

Can you lay out any plans for the president? It's going to be his final September 11th in office, and that's always been a big deal to whoever the officeholder is. How is he going to spend September 11th this year?

I believe we put out a statement saying, or confirmed that the president and the vice president are going to be in New York on 9/11. And so we'll have more to share, obviously, as we get closer to that. But look, I have traveled with the president on his trips as it relates to that horrific day, and he is someone who certainly never forgets and always honors those that we lost, and will continue to do so. And next week, he'll do that alongside the vice president.

Will he visit the other two major sites?

I don't have anything more to share beyond that, but you will see the president and the vice president next week together as they mourn the thousands of lives that were lost on that day, and also the first respondents who obviously put their lives on the line to protect Americans on that day.

Just one last small one. From his and his family's vacation last month to Santa Ynez. Has he reimbursed Joe Kiani for a ranch? And can you tell us how much he asked?

Yeah, so what I can tell you... Look, I am not going to getting to cost here. First of all, the president is the president, wherever he goes. He certainly was busy during that time that he spent with his family. And so the president does what he's done every year since he's been president, has taken that time with his family around the summer months, or even around the holidays, which is in line with other presidents. So there is the same actions, the same thing that other presidents have done when it comes to these types of vacations. I can say that this president has done it. It is in line with the ethics that is tied into all of this. I don't have numbers here. It's not something that I can provide.

Did he pay something?

I just don't have anything beyond that to say but to say that he's taken every... He's taken every action or done the same process that every other president has done when they have taken time with their family. There's nothing new. It is in line with his what is required by him to take. I don't have numbers here to share with you. Okay, Peter.

Thank you. President Biden's approval rating is soaring. It's up 13% all the way to 48%. Does it bother the president that people are so pleased that he's retiring?

Am I hearing a little twang in your voice, Peter, a little something in your-

I know better. No, but you guys keep-

Yes, go ahead.

... telling us to appreciate him on the way out about the Inflation Reduction Act and things like that.

I'm glad that you listened to me when I'm up here. Look, here's what I can say. I think what the American people appreciate is indeed what we have been able to do in the past several years. When you think about inflation is falling with income while incomes are climbing, right? You think about Medicare as finally being able to negotiate lower drug costs. This president, this administration has been able to beat big pharma. That's a big deal. Other presidents have tried to do it. Other elected officials have tried to do it, they can't get it done. Manufacturing is indeed coming back here to America. Our infrastructure is being rebuilt. Violent crimes is at a low, 50 year low. Matter of fact, the last president in his last year, murder rates were skyrocketing. And so the president has been able to work on that. (43:50) And this was a president, vice president, that has done the work to make Americans' lives better, to make their lives better, to change their lives in a transformational way That is going to matter. And I think that's what the American people want to see, and that's what this president has been able to do.

A different topic. Vice President Harris once said years ago that she wanted to decriminalize illegal border crossing. Now, she's saying that her values haven't changed. And so how much ownership does she have for this latest NYPD stat that 75% of arrests in Midtown Manhattan lately have been migrants?

My goodness, there's a lot in that question. And look, just going back to the values, and obviously the vice president can speak for herself and her campaign will speak for herself, for her, her values haven't changed. And you heard that on the interview that she did with CNN very recently. And I think that's important. I think someone's values matter, and that's what you see from the vice president, and certainly that's what you see from this president. Look, as you're talking about The New York, I believe is the New York Post report, as you just stated, look, you heard directly from the New York Police Department. They put out a statement which was reflected in that story. So just want to... In your story, so we want to be really clear. So I would refer you to the spokespeople who spoke to this. And I would say more broadly, we fundamentally believe this administration, including Harris, because this is the Biden-Harris administration, believe that anyone found guilty of crimes should be held accountable. That is something that we fundamentally believe. (45:28) And you have heard us say that we welcome law, local law enforcement support and cooperation in apprehending and removing individuals who pose that risk, who pose a national security risk. And so that's what we welcome. I would refer you to the New York Police Department. They actually spoke to this and kind of spoke to that number that was being used, and I would refer you to them.

And so my last question then would be if the Vice President's values have not changed, why have so many of her positions on policies changed?

I would say look at what the vice president has done with this president the last three and a half years. Look what we have been able to do. Look what we've been able to do at the border without much help from Republicans because they're too busy listening to the former President, sadly, and telling them not to actually do the things that majority of Americans want to see them doing, and that being dealing with the challenges at the border. They listen to Donald Trump instead of continuing to work with us in a bipartisan way. That's what they chose to do. That's on them. But because of the actions that this administration has taken, we have seen those actions lead to numbers going down at the border. And that matters, and that matters. And that's because of the work that we have done. And you heard me talk about the economy, what the president, this vice president have been able to do. (46:56) We cannot forget what the Biden-Harris administration inherited when they walked into this administration, a once a century pandemic. People were dying. Thousands of people were dying a day. And the last administration, the Trump administration didn't bother to leave a comprehensive plan on dealing with the pandemic. They didn't bother. They were too busy... He was too busy telling people to inject bleach into their bodies. That's what he was doing. Meanwhile, this president and this vice president passed the American Rescue plan. Only Democrats voted for that. And because of that, we were able to open up schools. Because of that, we're able to open up businesses. Because of that, we're able to put some checks and pockets for people who really needed it, who really needed it. Think about the child tax credit. That changed lives for families and put shots in arms. And so that is why we have an economy that is growing. That is why we have an economy that is leading the world. And those are just the facts. Go ahead, Zolan.

You said for September 11th, that the president and the vice president will be in New York.

Yeah.

Did you say if they'll be at Ground Zero Memorial?

They will be at Ground Zero. We'll have more details to share.

Okay. They'll be at ground zero for the memorial?

Yes.

Okay.

On September 11.

On guns as well, does the president feel that he's exhausted executive actions at this point [inaudible 00:48:22]?

Look, Zolan, you know this. You've covered this. The president has taken more than two dozen executive actions, two dozen executive actions on trying to do everything that he can to prevent gun violence. That is a lot. Look, he will always find ways to see what else he can do, to see what else his administration, the actions his administration can take. We have the Office of the Gun Violence Prevention. And what that does, one of the things that does is those executive actions, and also that legislation that was passed and that he signed to make sure that we move quickly with those actions, and particular components of that act. And so that we put that out there into communities and make sure that we're doing everything we can to continue to keep or to try to keep community safe. But the answer is legislation. We have to have laws, more laws, additional laws so that we can protect communities.

Okay. But as far as the White House, do you feel that White House fully in implementation phase with the actions already taken, or are there any executive actions that could-

As I said in my answer just seconds ago, we are going to do everything that we can. His agency is out there, including with the president, to see what else can be done. But more than two executive actions is there's nothing to sleep on. That is something that he moved forward on because Congress wasn't moving fast enough, right? We were able to get that bipartisan act done, but we needed to do more. And so, look, we'll always find ways to move to see what else can be done, but we have to get Congress to do the work. We know congressional Democrats are ready to do the work. We need congressional Republicans to join those Democrats. Look, but signing the law, the bipartisan Safer Communities Act was not a small feat. That was a big thing to get done.

In terms of congressional help. Does he have any meetings scheduled at the White House, or yeah, does he have any meetings scheduled with members of Congress to actually talk about a way forward?

So I don't have any meetings to read out to you that release to this particular issue. I say this all the time. We have the Office of Ledge Affairs. They talk to congressional members pretty regularly on an array of issues. That's important to the present, to the American people. Certainly, that will continue. But it doesn't stop, us continuing to say how sad this day is, to really be clear that this should not be happening, and enough is enough, and we need to continue to do the work. And that really is on the other side of Pennsylvania. Congress has to continue to do the work to stop this. And that means we need laws. We need laws. Go ahead. Jeff.

Thank you. Kirby mentioned that regarding U.S. Steel, the President's position on that, and that it was appropriate to have a CFIUS review. Can you give us an update on where the CFIUS review stands and when you expect to hear from them?

So I don't have any news to make today on anything like that. The CFIUS review, as you know, is incredibly independent. The CFIUS hasn't transmitted a recommendation yet to the President, and that's the next step in this process, but I don't have anything else to add beyond that. Look, you heard from the president and the vice president on Labor Day. They were very clear. They're committed to ensuring steel is made in America, that's what the president said, and making sure that UNI's workers and U.S. Steel should remain an American company. That's what he wants to see. As far as the CFIUS review, they're going through their process. They'll make a recommendation. We just don't have anything to share. [inaudible 00:52:17]

Thank you, Karine. The President's son, Hunter, is said to begin a trial for tax issues later this week. I was wondering if the president plans to attend any part of the trial.

So what I'll say from the top, and you referred to me say this many times, is that Hunter is a private citizen, as you all know. So when it comes to his own legal circumstances, I would certainly refer you to him on his personal representatives. I would say as well, that, of course, the president and the first Lady, they love their son. They're proud of his resilience and his strength, and they support him as he continues to move forward in his life. I don't have anything else to add beyond that, and I'll just leave it there for now.

Has the president advised Hunter in any way on how to approach the trial?

He's a private citizen. He has his own legal representation, and I won't share beyond that. I won't give it beyond that. Go ahead.

The President's statement about the shooting talks about how it's personal to him. You've mentioned that a few times. Can you just speak at all to how he reacted to the news when he heard today?

It's devastating.

That we are back here again?

We are back here again. You're right. It's devastating. It's devastating. It is. You heard me say this, and I think it's in the President's statement as well. It is in the President's statement, in that first paragraph where he talks about this is basically a school year, a new school year. This is supposed to be an opportunity for kids to celebrate, see their friends, be joyous, as the president says, and yet we see another horrific

... fix shooting. And it is heartbreaking. I mean, when the president says it's personal to him, you hear something like that. These are children. Children.

To follow up then on Dolan's questions. You laid out everything you want Congress to do. If it is so devastating with to this president, what is he doing to help Americans feel better about sending their kids to school tomorrow?

So if you look at the president's actions and what he has done since almost day one of this administration, if you think about the two dozen actions that he's taken, executive actions that he's taken, that is showing Americans that this is an issue, whether it is sending your kids to school, whether it's your community that he cares about and wants communities and schools to be safe. We should be safe in our communities. (54:54) And then he worked and reached across the aisle, when people said he could not get it done because it's been decades, decades since we were able to get something like the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act done. And he reached across the aisle to get that done. I think that shows to the American people that he took this very seriously. (55:15) And lastly, he started the Office to Prevent Gun Violence that the vice president leads. And what that does, and this is really going to get to you, the heart of your question, is that one of the things that they do is they reach out to communities, especially in a moment like this and figure out what can we do to help a community heal and move forward? (55:42) And I mean, just think about it. The fact that we had to set up an office like that is just devastating to think about. But we had to, and the president wanted to continue to show to Americans how serious he was. And that's why we have an office, obviously with the executive actions, to move forward with the law, to make sure they're rapidly being executed, but also to help families and communities. (56:10) And look, there's no easy answer here because it's devastating. It is devastating. I'm a mom. You're a mom. Many of your colleagues are parents. And to see this on the week that you're sending your kids to school is heartbreaking, is heartbreaking. I mean, I think about it all the time. What would happen? And then you hear your kids are going through lockdowns. That's awful. (56:41) But I think what the American people could be assured of, and all they have to do is look at the president's action, is that he's going to do everything that he can, but we really do need Republicans in Congress to act. We do. We do need them to act. Democrats are ready. They need to join us. [inaudible 00:57:02]?

Thanks, Karine. I'm going to ask you about the economy. So the JOLTS report came out that shows that 7.7 million jobs are open in this country, but the revisions in that number showed that the layoffs have been revised up last month, 62,000, 1.6 million. We have a jobs report coming out on Friday. Has the jobs growth significantly stalled in this country?

So a couple of things that I do want to touch on. And look, because of the strong recovery and the work that this president and his vice president has been able to do over the past three and a half years, job openings remain high and layoffs are in near record lows. I think that's important to point out. That's what we see in that JOLTS report. And you talk about layoffs. In fact, they are lower than the average during the prior administration, even before Covid. Even before Covid, because I know folks want to focus on Covid, but even before then. And the ratio of job openings to unemployed workers is back to its pre- pandemic levels as well. (58:02) So look, we're trying to get our economy back to normal and we're seeing signs of that. We're seeing data. The job market remains strong. We have unemployment that is low at 4.3%. Jobs are being created at a healthy pace with more than 170,000 jobs created per month, over the last month, PCE inflation is down by 2.3%, 2.5%, pardon me. GDP grew by 3% last quarter. (58:28) And all of this data is important to note. And to your question specifically about layoffs, we're monitoring that. We're going to continue to monitor that. Of course, it matters to the president when Americans are losing jobs and the impact that may have on them. And so that is something that the president understands and knows what it means to families.

A quick follow up. Then how concerned is the President on what the jobs number will show on Friday?

Look, I'm not going to get ahead of that. I'm not going to predict. And you know that, we say this all the time. I'm not going to stand here and predict job numbers. What I could say is this is a president and a vice president that has put the economy as a priority. And we know that Americans obviously want jobs, they want good paying jobs. That is something that we have focused on. And also, they want us to see a lower cost. And that's something that you see from this administration when we talk about the economy, we talk about our policies. And also when we talk about our policies more broadly, having equity at the center of it because we want to make sure that communities who have felt that they've been left behind are not. (59:36) Go ahead, Gerren.

The NAACP and others are condemning an upcoming comedy roast of Vice President Harris on the campus of University of South Carolina, which is also featuring two right-wing extremist leaders, that includes the co-founder of The Proud Boys. The advertisement for the event makes very vulgar and sexual references to the vice president, which then the organizations are calling obscene and potentially a violation of the school's policy on discrimination. They're also calling for this to be canceled. Does the White House join groups condemning this and calling for this to be canceled, or does the White House believe that this is protected free speech?

So look, I'm not familiar with this particular event, so I want to be super mindful, but I hear what you're saying and here's what I will say. And you heard the president say this many times, especially in the past several weeks, or at least you've heard me say this, echoing what the president has said, is that picking the vice president was the best decision that he's ever made. And he's proud to have worked with her, to have her as a critical partner in the past three and a half years. (01:00:47) And whether it's making the largest investment in public safety, beating back big Pharma, you've heard me go back and forth with Ed on the economy and what we believe we've been able to do and how we've been able to deliver for the American people. You've heard me talk to Peter about this as well as what we think the American people want to see. But he has been able to do this with her in partnership. (01:01:11) And so he's proud of her. He's proud that he selected her, and I think that, and he is proud to continue to serve alongside with the vice president. And so I'll leave it there. I'm not going to dive into the event. I don't know much about it. And I would say that I would speak for my colleagues here. I think we are very much all proud to have the vice president as our vice president and the work that we have seen her do with this president for the past three and a half years. And I'll leave it there.

[inaudible 01:01:45] don't want to comment on it directly, but what does the White House think of when there are these racist and sexist references to the vice president?

Look, this is an administration, this is a president, when he decided what this administration would look like, he decided to have an administration that looked like the rest of the country. He wanted it to make sure that it was diverse. And because it was important to him to have certain communities who have felt like they've been left behind to have a seat at the table. That's what this president has been able to do. (01:02:21) And you see that. This is the most diverse administration in modern political history. I think that says everything that you need to know about what this president cares about. And that starts with the vice president, his decision to pick her as his running mate. And he was very purposeful, mindful, she was obviously experienced and he knew she can do the job and wanted to make sure that we had a diverse administration to go alongside that. And I think that is the most important thing that matters. (01:03:02) I can't speak to everybody else. I can't speak to every racist, misogynistic, sexist comment that's made out there. What I can speak to is what the reflection of this administration and what we have been able to do and how we have represented in a way I think, that many Americans should be proud of. I certainly am. And to make sure that people feel represented, not just in how we look, but in the policies that we have put forward. And I think that's what matters.

[inaudible 01:03:34] topic.

Oh, sure.

Sorry. What does the White House make of recent elite colleges like MIT, Amherst and Tufts reporting sharp declines in Black and Latino enrollment and increases in white enrollment since the affirmative action ruling from the Supreme Court? The president and the Department of Education released guidance and resources to campuses to continue diversity on college campuses, obviously this data suggested that that isn't necessarily working. Does the White House believe there is more it can do to prevent this trend from happening in other college campuses?

So a couple of things, and this is really very important because we called that out that this could potentially happen when the Supreme Court made that decision. Their decision moved the nation backwards, as you're laying out in what we're seeing right now, [inaudible 01:04:24] decades of precedent that allowed America's colleges and university to build diverse environments. I just talked about the importance of this administration and being diverse and representing majority of this country and what this country looks like. (01:04:38) So the president called on college and universities to seize the opportunity to expand access to educational opportunity. And this administration has issued guidance, as you just stated, on specific actions universities can take to provide opportunity to all Americans. We know, we understand and we know that the talent exists in all communities. It's clear more work remains to be done and we'll continue calling on schools to build pathways for upward mobility and success. And that is what I know the Department of Education is focused on. And I know that this is something that is incredibly important. (01:05:14) And so putting that aside, we've made historic investments in HBCUs. And that is also why the president has made student debt relief a priority. And so we'll continue to do everything that we can to ensure that Americans have access to educational opportunities. That is our commitment, that is the president's commitment. And you have seen that along the way over the past three and a half years. Okay, Weijia?

So four years ago you were serving as chief of staff to then Candidate Harris for vice president. Is there anything you can share about how she prepares for a debate?

Oh, that is so very interesting. Very clever, Weijia.

Well, you would know.

You're right. I would know. Look, I do want to be, what you just stated is correct. That was my role four years ago. I was the chief of staff to the running mate, obviously who's now the vice president and involved in the debate at that time. I do want to be mindful because obviously in a week, in less than a week, they'll be a debate that the vice president will be participating in. And I would have her campaign speak to that specifically, however they wish to talk about that. (01:06:40) What I can say more broadly speaking is, and I think you've all seen that, especially very recently, the vice president is smart. She is someone that knows how to get the job done. And as the president has said, and I will echo this, I mean we all certainly believe as well, when the president said that it was the best decision that he's made as picking her as his running mate. And so I think it's a stay tuned kind of moment and I'll let the campaign speak to it.

Has the president offered any advice to her since he was just in the shoes she will be in a few days?

So look, what I'll say is that the president and the vice president speak regularly. They see each other regularly. You saw them obviously, on Monday together, shoulder to shoulder, talking about how they've been able to deliver for the American people. Talking about Labor Day, the importance of Union, the president being named the most pro-Union president ever, which is a title that he's very proud of. (01:07:52) I don't have anything beyond that. They speak regularly. He certainly is proud of everything that she's been able to accomplish, especially as we look at the past couple OF weeks. I just don't have anything beyond that.

[inaudible 01:08:03] thank you.

Go ahead, Mike. I know you're not in here regularly.

I'm always here in spirit, though, Karine. You know that.

In spirit. I feel it all the time, every day.

I know that we're still early hours of this tragedy, but I just wanted to ask if there were any early indications you received about other potential changes or additions to the president's schedule? Obviously he's supposed to be on the road the next two days?

Look, as you just stated in your question to me, these are certainly the very early moments, early hours of this. So I certainly don't have anything about the president's schedule to share any changes. But as the president says in his statement, he and Dr. Biden are mourning the deaths of those whose lives were cut short due to senseless violence. And I think, it's a sad day. It's a sad day. (01:08:54) And I cannot imagine, I know the parents who have their child going to that school are probably frightened, scared, mourning. And our hearts go out to them. And I know that just parents across the country are thinking about this day. And this is the day that you fear. The day that you fear. And I think this goes a little bit into the question that I got from Mary Alice, it's like, yeah, now parents have to think about tomorrow and the next day and the school year. (01:09:29) And what I want them to know is that the president is doing, and the vice president, and this administration is doing everything that we can to make sure that communities feel safe. And that means also calling out on Republicans in Congress to act, to do more, to meet Democrats and to do the work. There's more that we can do to make sure that parents and kids and teachers feel safe when they wake up to more morning and have to go back to school. And it is a sad day. It is a sad day.

And then with regard to the President's travel the next two days, obviously these are different kinds of events that he might have been doing if he was still a candidate for reelection. Can you talk about how the White House has sort of reimagined what he will be doing, how he will be traveling these next few months?

Look, you heard us, as you said, he's traveling the next couple of days. He's going to be going to Wisconsin tomorrow. He's going to Michigan on Friday, and he was just in Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh with the vice president on Monday. (01:10:37) And so what I'll say is he'll be out there, he'll be out there talking directly to the American people. He looks forward to it. It's something that he has done, not just looking at the next several months, but he's done this the last three and a half years. And he believes it's important to do that, to let Americans know what is it that we've been doing? How we've been delivering for them? Whether it's healthcare, economy, and have we been able to grow the economy back? (01:11:03) And so this is something that, as it relates to travel, you'll see the president certainly out there and we'll have more to share, we'll have more to share. But he's ready to be out there and ready to talk directly to the American people. (01:11:14) All right, everybody, thank you so much.

Thanks, Karine.

Thanks, Karine.