First press conference after 64 days: Biden names new vaccination target and differs from Trump

It can tell a lot about the current state of the crown in the US that Joe Biden was not asked a single question about it in his first press conference as president. The number of vaccines administered is increasing, the number of new infections is decreasing, the number of unemployed is also decreasing; At least for the moment, all signs point to relaxation. From the point of view of White House correspondents, the pandemic is no longer the most important issue. No controversy, no news.

Therefore, the only one who mentioned Corona was Biden himself, from the beginning. He announced that 200 million vaccines would be administered in the first 100 days of his term, a goal the United States should now easily reach.

Then on Thursday at the White House it was about the issues that Biden did not want to talk about. Above all: Dhe situation on the southern border that thousands of unaccompanied migrant children currently pass through, many of whom are housed in overcrowded camps.

New tone towards China

Conditions in the fields, which the US government does not actually allow media access to, are “unacceptable,” he admitted. He denied that the increase in migrants had anything to do with the inauguration. “You don’t come because I’m a good guy.” Even under Donald Trump, who treated migrants “without dignity,” thousands of people from Central America headed north each spring.

The problem is that under Trump, reception camps and transit centers were dismantled. “It took everything down and now we are trying to rebuild it.”

It wasn’t the only time that Biden stood out from his predecessor. He made a stark contrast when he answered a question about the relationship with China. China’s head of state, Xi Jinping, like Russia’s president Vladimir Putin, believes that “autocracy is the wave of the future,” and democracy is an outdated model.

Lots of excitement in advance

However, unlike Trump, he will push for human rights to be respected when dealing with China. “The moment a president shrinks, as the last one did, is the moment we lose our legitimacy in the world,” Biden said.

In the run-up to the press conference, there was talk in the US media of a “minefield” that awaited him. Not that Biden went underground beforehand. The president is currently traveling the country promoting his crown rescue package. He has given several television interviews and almost every day answers some questions about the news that reporters throw at him.

But what was missing so far was a formal press conference to give journalists a chance to ask questions. Biden took 64 days to do this, longer than any of his predecessors.

Low expectations

It is questionable whether this bothered the majority of Americans. But for many in the In Washington’s media bubble, this has recently been one of the most important issues, for some even a scandal.

Popular belief warThat Biden’s advisor doesn’t see the president in front of the press that longchicken wantedbecause it rarely shines in such situations. Biden is often confused and lost and occasionally forgets names. Fox News and other right-wing outlets often hint that the 78-year-old is senile and incapacitated.

In a way, these votes did Biden a favor, just as they did in the campaign against Trump: they lowered expectations.

Because Biden stumbled only a few times, he answered most questions in a disciplined and robust manner, sometimes even aggressively, for example, when he criticized Republicans for their “un-American” and “unhealthy” attempts to restrict the right to vote in many cases. places. The press conference ended after an hour. Without a mine exploding.