Joe Biden spent approximately one hour taking questions from the media at his first official press conference since starting his term in the White House as the 46th President of the United States. The press conference addressed many different issues, including the worsening border crisis and the economic recovery.
Biden appeared to be holding note cards that contained random snippets of information that could have been used to help him answer questions. He also appeared to have a prepared list of media reporters that he could call on for the press conference. The press conference started off a little bit shaky and there were a few moments where it seemed like Biden struggled to maintain focus during his conversation with some of the media members.
He managed to summarize his future plans on administering the vaccine to millions of Americans. He reassured citizens that stimulus checks were on the way and that economic relief for the unemployed would soon become available as a part of the ‘American Rescue Plan’ that was signed into law recently.
One of the most controversial topics that came up during the press conference is the filibuster. He hinted towards the possibility of pursuing a path to eliminate the filibuster, although his pathway to taking this action is not immediately clear. Several moderate democrats have pledged to not eliminate the filibuster under any circumstances.
When asked if he would pursue a run for reelection in 2024, he responded that he did expect to run for reelection, an idea that seems nearly impossible based on the body language that President Biden is already showing in his first two months in office. According to political betting markets on PredictIt, only 37% of individuals believe that Joe Biden will be the 2024 Democratic Presidential Nominee. Vice President Kamala Harris actually has a higher chance of becoming the 2024 Democratic Nominee at 39%, at least according to PredictIt’s betting markets.
The press conference lasted for around 60 minutes and covered most of the political issues that are relevant for the citizens of America right now. It’s unclear if Joe Biden will hold another public press conference any time soon, especially after struggling and stuttering awkwardly at multiple points during the event.
With the press conference concluded, the agenda for the Biden administration in the immediate future seems to be clear. Many of the questions that citizens would have had going into this press conference have been answered. Distributing vaccines is a top priority, the economy is recovering, gun control is a major priority, and Biden wants to destroy the filibuster so that a 50 vote majority in the Senate is enough to pass legislation for the Democratic agenda.
Biden and the Democrats have about two years before the midterm elections in 2022 to abolish the filibuster. That is the next opportunity that Republicans have at holding a majority within either the Senate Chamber or the House of Representatives. Only time will tell if Biden can convince his moderate democrats to help abolish the filibuster that is currently in place within the Senate chamber.
As for now, it appears that Biden’s administration will continue to focus on the border crisis and the economic recovery. In terms of handling some of the more controversial political issues that Biden discussed at the press conference, it seems that the administration is planning on signing some executive orders in the short-term.