Things took an unexpected turn on Thursday when President Joe Biden spoke to reporters about recovery efforts following two hurricanes that recently slammed into Florida—Helene, which left a trail of destruction across the southeastern U.S., and Milton, which made landfall soon after. While discussing the administration’s response, Biden was asked a seemingly unrelated question by AFP White House correspondent Danny Kemp about escalating hostilities between Israel and Lebanon.
“Mr. President, what did Prime Minister Netanyahu tell you about his plans relating to retaliation against—” Kemp began, referencing the ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
Without skipping a beat, Biden interrupted and quipped, “He’s coming over to help with the storm.”
A little quip from Biden here....
AFP's @DannyCTKemp: "Mr. President, what did you --- what did Prime minister Netanyahu tell you about his plans relating to retaliation against --"
BIden: "He's coming over to help with the storm." pic.twitter.com/dG6w0qkuCV
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) October 10, 2024
That unexpected answer immediately set social media ablaze. Conservative commentator Michael Knowles was quick to jump in, sarcastically posting, “Well that’s nice of him,” poking fun at the President’s apparent confusion between a global political leader and a hurricane relief worker. Max Abrahms, another political analyst, pointed out the irony, noting that Democrats have long criticized former President Trump for his perceived blunders in international diplomacy. Yet here was Biden, thinking the Israeli Prime Minister was part of the hurricane relief effort.
But that wasn’t the only eyebrow-raising moment from Biden’s press conference. The President also reiterated his administration’s pledge to crack down on price gouging and fraud in the wake of the hurricanes. “Vice President Harris and I— we said it yesterday, we’ll say it again—anyone who seeks to take advantage of our fellow Americans’ desperation...we will hold you accountable,” Biden vowed.
A recurrent Democrat talking point for years has been that Trump is embarrassing when it comes to international affairs. Here, Biden thought Israeli prime minister Netanyahu is a hurricane relief worker. https://t.co/yl9jlwhGNS
— Max Abrahms (@MaxAbrahms) October 10, 2024
While that statement sounds tough, there’s a catch: price gouging is already illegal in Florida and has been for years. So, while Biden’s tough rhetoric may resonate with voters, the actual enforcement of such laws isn’t something new or groundbreaking. It felt more like a recycled talking point than a fresh plan of action.
And then, in classic Biden fashion, he managed to veer into another favorite topic—his predecessor. The President used part of his time to blame Donald Trump for allegedly spreading misinformation about FEMA funding. According to Biden, Trump had muddied the waters, suggesting that FEMA resources were being diverted for the resettlement of illegal migrants instead of hurricane recovery. Whether there’s truth to that claim or not, Biden’s repeated return to Trump as a scapegoat for various issues is starting to sound like a broken record.
President Biden misleads viewers by saying he and Vice President Harris are on the lookout for price gouging in Florida, promising federal action.
Price gouging in Florida has already been a crime for decades. pic.twitter.com/vRFXQE9HvG
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) October 10, 2024