‘I have no comment on Trump’: Biden REFUSES to answer multiple questions on indictment of former president
- Biden remains silent on Trump’s indictment by Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg
- Vice President Kamala Harris refused to comment, as well
- Trump is expected to be arraigned in NYC on Tuesday
President Joe Biden on Friday refused to comment on the indictment of Donald Trump.
‘I have no comment on Trump,’ he told reporters at the White House as he and Jill Biden headed to Mississippi to tour damage from a deadly tornado.
The president refused to talk about his predecessor despite being asked multiple times. He also didn’t acknowledge questions about whether he was concerned about protesters or violence in the wake of the indictment.
The White House has consistently refused to comment on any of the Trump cases, taking the strategy of simply staying quiet and out of the way as the legal process goes forward.
President Joe Biden said he had no comment on Donald Trump’s indictment
Biden was asked four times about Trump’s historic indictment but repeatedly refused to respond.
Will the indictment divide the country, a reporter asked.
‘I have no comment on that,’ the president said.
Another reporter asked if he was worried about protesters in the wake of the indictment.
‘No. I’m not going to talk about the Trump indictment,’ Biden said.
And asked what the indictment said about the rule of law, the president responded: ‘I have no comment at all.’
Another reporter tried asking if the charges were politically motivated.
‘I have no comment on Trump,’ Biden said.
He then walked to Marine One, which was waiting on the South Lawn with the first lady already on board.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said President Biden found out about Trump’s indictment ‘just like every other American – through the news reports.’
White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients flagged the reports to him as the news broke on Thursday.
‘We were not given a head’s up,’ Jean-Pierre said to reporters Friday on Air Force One.
Donald Trump is expected to be arraigned on Tuesday in New York
President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden prepare to board Air Force One on their way to Misssissippi
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre declined to comment further on Trump’s indictment
Vice President Kamala Harris, on a high-profile trip to Africa, also refused to comment on Trump
Vice President Kamala Harris, on a high-profile trip to Africa that has been overshadowed by the Trump news, also refused to comment on the former president.
‘I am not going to comment on an ongoing criminal case as it relates to the former president,’ she told reporters at a press conference in Zambia.
The White House has taken a hands-off strategy when it comes to Trump. Instead of commenting, Biden and his team are continuing their daily schedules in an attempt to contrast the legal trouble of the former president to the work of the current occupant of the Oval Office.
Jean-Pierre, in her gaggle with reporters, pointed out Biden is busy doing ‘his job.’ She declined to comment further on Trump’s indictment.
A Manhattan grand jury indicted the former president on Thursday on charges related to a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. The exact charges haven’t been revealed yet, but reports indicate there are more than 30 counts.
Trump, 76, will be arraigned in Manhattan at 2:15 pm on Tuesday. He has denied any wrongdoing.
He has previously called for protests amid reports an indictment was coming down. He has warned of ‘death and destruction’ if he’s indicted.
The former president also has repeatedly attacked the judicial system and claimed to be a victim of its weaponization – a line of attack many of his Republican supporters have echoed.
‘I believe this witch-hunt will backfire massively on Joe Biden,’ he said in a statement on Thursday night. ‘The American people realize exactly what the radical left democrats are doing here. Everyone can see it.’
Trump is currently leading the polls to be the Republican nominee in next year’s presidential race. A new poll out on Thursday showed him gaining support as GOP voters showed sympathy for him.
Trump’s attorney Joe Tacopina said the former president won’t be put in handcuffs on Tuesday when he’s arraigned in downtown Manhattan.
He is set to face a mug shot, fingerprinting and a court appearance.
Biden, meanwhile, will survey damage from the tornado during his trip to Mississippi. He and Jill Biden will meet with homeowners and first responders. And they’ll also get a briefing from federal and state officials.
The death toll was 21 people. The storm also destroyed roughly 300 homes and businesses.
The Bidens will then spend the weekend at their home in Wilmington, Delaware. The president will visit Minnesota on Monday.
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