DOOCY: Thank you, Karine. Are you guys here at the White House in full-blown freakout mode? (Laughter.)
JEAN-PIERRE: What are you talking about?
DOOCY: There’s a —
JEAN-PIERRE: What are you talking about —
DOOCY: There’s a Politico story —
JEAN-PIERRE: — Peter?
DOOCY: It sounds like Democrats outside — the quote is, “Biden’s stubbornly — stubbornly poor polling and the stakes of the election ‘are creating the freakout.'”
JEAN-PIERRE: So, again, I’m going to be mindful. I’m not going to comment on 2024 election.
I will say this. The President has never forgotten where he comes — where he came from, who he is. He understands what the American people are going through as they’re sitting around the kitchen table. You ta- — you hear the President talk about his time growing up where he watched his family having to sit around the kitchen table making incredibly difficult decision.
And the President has always said he’s going to fight for communities that have been forgotten. And you see that in the policies — economic policies that he’s put forward. He’s going to continue to fight for the middle class. He’s going to continue to fight in every way that he can.
You heard me at the beginning talk about junk fees. Incredibly import- — and he’s going to continue to fight and to make sure, you know, that corporation greed doesn’t continue to take hold. He is — that is something that he’s been very clear about, while Republicans are doing the opposite. They put out a policy where they want to give a big tax break to the wealthiest among us — billionaires and — and corporation. That’s not what the President wants to do.
DOOCY: On another topic. Why did President Biden have a private meeting with a witness who plans to testify in court against his son?
JEAN-PIERRE: Can you say more?
DOOCY: Hallie Biden is a key government witness who allegedly disposed of a gun that Hunter is accused of buying illegally. President Biden —
JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
DOOCY: — was at her house this week.
JEAN-PIERRE: I think the American people should also be told the full breadth of this, not just a part of this question here.
As you all know, the President actually spoke to this yesterday during his Memorial — I think, impactful, powerful Memorial Day address where he talked about — he talked about the passing — the anniversary — the ninth anniversary of the passing of his son [Beau Biden]. And he visited her as that anniversary is approaching. He visited her days before the anniversary of the passing of his son.
And she is family. She was married, obviously, to his late son. And I think that is something also to mention, as you’re asking your question to me.
DOOCY: So — so, they did not talk about her testimony?
JEAN-PIERRE: This was not about that. This was about, literally, the ninth anniversary of the passing of his son —
DOOCY: One more.
JEAN-PIERRE: — that is upcoming in days, Peter.
DOOCY: We learned today there’s going to be a book coming out this summer by Lunden Roberts. According to the press release, the book is about protecting the long-unacknowledged grandchild of the sitting President of the United States. Do you know if President Biden has met that grandchild yet?
JEAN-PIERRE: I don’t have anything to share.
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