Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre
James S. Brady Press Briefing Room
11:56 A.M. EDT
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Hey. Good afternoon, everybody.
Q Good afternoon.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Oh, it’s chilly in here.
Q Mm-hmm.
Q (Inaudible.)
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I’m hearing comments in the back, but — okay. So, the Biden-Harris administration’s response and recovery efforts continue to deliver for the people of North Carolina, Florida, and all communities affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Federal assistance for communities affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton has surpassed $1.8 billion.
Over the weekend, the president visited Florida to personally survey the damage caused by Milton, speak with families affected by the storm, and meet with state and local officials to ensure they were getting the resources they need.
And this afternoon, at 4:15 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell will hold her daily press briefing to provide further details on our efforts to help communities respond, recover, and rebuild in the wake of these disasters.
As the president has said, we are in this for the long haul, and we will be there as long as it takes.
That said, we need Congress to do its job. Yesterday, you heard from the president that the Small Business Administration’s disaster loan program, which is a critical lifeline to small businesses, homeowners, renters affected by — by disasters, has been exhausted.
Americans should continue to apply for these loans, and SBA will continue to process them and disburse assistance as soon as Congress does its job and provides the needed funding.
Tomorrow, President Biden will travel to Berlin, Germany, where he will meet with German leaders, President Steinmeier and Pre- — and Chancellor Scholz, underscoring the strong relationship that the United States shares with Germany and the full range of global issues that we are tackling together.
The close relationship between President Biden and Chancellor Scholz have built — has — have built has been critical to helping us make progress on behalf of the American people and to making the world a safer place.
We have worked together closely to strengthen our economies for both our people and provide critical support for Ukraine as it continues to defend itself against Russian aggression as Germany has been the second-largest provider of aid to Ukraine after the United States.
Chancellor Scholz’s bold decision to participate in the prisoner swap this — this summer, as you all know, which he did as President Bi- — at President Biden’s request, was vital to returning wrongfully detained Americans, including Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan, and Germans to their families. And we need to continue to work closely together to defend democratic values around the world.
On that note, President Biden will speak with President Zelenskyy shortly, if not already, and will announce a significant new security assistance package for Ukraine today, as part of our ongoing effort to surge U.S. support to Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression.
The two leaders al- — also will also discuss the leader-level Ukraine Defense Contact Group, which will hold — which will be held next month, to continue to get Ukraine the support it needs to prevail in this conflict. We will have a readout of that call soon as we — as well as more details on the military aid package.
Some additional news. In the first week of December, the president will also travel to Angola, where he will celebrate the transformation of the U.S.-Angola relationship, recognize Angola’s role as a strategic part- — strategic partner and regional leader, and meet with President Lourenço about ways to increase our collaboration on security, health, and economic partnerships.
The value of strong alliances and partnerships in the defense of freedom has never resonated more — in Europe, in Africa, and beyond. These visits demonstrate the president’s unwavering commitment to revitalize these relationships for our shared security and prosperity.
With that, Aamer, kick it off to you.
Q Yeah. On the Germany trip tomorrow. When will he be coming back? And I’m presuming the conversation with President Zelenskyy today, does that obviate the need for them to meet while he’s in Europe?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, that — they’re not going to have an opportunity to meet while he is in Europe, and this is one of the reasons the president is calling him ahead of time.
What I will say is we’ll certainly have more details on the trip in the next several hours, on what that looks like, what tomorrow is going to look like, and the specifics of — of the president’s engagement in Germany tomorrow — the next two days.
Q And can I ask, with concerns of the Secret Service being so stretched right now and the various security needs with the two assassination attempts, has the president considered maybe putting this trip off until after Election Day or perhaps even dialing back some of the Delaware travel just to — to help lighten the load on the Secret Service?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, what I will say is I’m not going to get into the specifics of the Secret Service and — and how it does its business in protecting, obviously, the principles. That’s not something for me to speak to from here.
What I will say is that the president believes that this — has felt very strongly about this trip, about one of our partners, allies, that has been steadfast, certainly, in partnership with — as it relates to Ukraine’s defense. And the president really wanted to make sure to go to Germany to thank Chancellor Scholz directly. And so, that was one of the reasons to do that trip.
I’m not going to get into specifics of — of Secret Service and — and how they move forward and how they go about protecting the principles. That’s not something that I’m going to speak from here.
Q Just one last one.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Sure.
Q President Biden, yesterday, spoke of Harris cutting her own path —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q — as president if she’s elected. Does he feel he’s held her back?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No, not at all. Look, the president has always been — I’m going to be — you know, not going to speak to politics from here. But what I can say more broadly is that every bo- — every president has the opportunity to cut their own path, and the president has been really clear about passing the torch and seeing Vice President Harris as a leader from day one — on day one.
And — and he understands how this all works, right? He said this yesterday as well. He was loyal to Barack Obama, but he also got an opportunity to cut his own path as president.
And so — and that’s what he believes Kamala is going to do. And that’s her — that’s his words — right? — when calling her, Kamala, the vice president.
And so, she’s been loyal to him, and this is something that he shared, and he understand that she will cut her own path. And I think that’s just the way it goes. Right? I think that’s the process that we’re seeing right now, that we’re living it, that you all are covering every day since the president decided to step aside from this election and pass the torch to the vice president.
And so, I think that’s what you’re hearing from this president. He’s incredibly proud of her. He has supported her from day one. He has said many times the best decision that he made in 2020 was asking her to be his running mate.
Go ahead, Nancy.
Q Thanks, Karine. A couple questions about this letter from the Biden administration to the Israeli government suggesting that U.S. aid to Israel may be at risk if they don’t change their posture on humanitarian aid into Gaza. Is there anything that we should know about the timing of this letter?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah. So, look, I — I’m going to take a step back just for a second because — and I know my — my colleagues over at National Security Council spoke to this, if not yesterday, certainly over the past couple of days.
And, look, the administration did something similar back in April, and — and that — that was received — that letter that we did back in April was received with a constructive response from the Israelis. And so, this is very similar.
What we have seen — the — the trigger — the reason why we’re doing this is we have seen a decrease in aid — in very important, critical aid into Gaza. And so, we sent out the letter from, obviously, Department of Defense and also the State Department that went to the — to both secretaries’ counterparts. And so, we’re having those discussions.
I would speak to them. I would speak to the DOD and State Department on their timing. But it is certainly connected to what we have seen, which is a decrease of humanitarian aid in Gaza. And so, we wanted to address that with Israel.
Q Have you gotten any response from the Israeli government to this letter, or any sign that they are taking it seriously?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I don’t have anything right now to preview or to announce or to — to lay out for you at this time. What I can say is the last time we did this, back in April, we did see a con- — constructive response. And so, that’s what we want to see this time around.
Q Is the administration really willing to halt military aid to Israel if you don’t see a significant improvement in humanitarian aid flowing to Gaza?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I’m not going to get into hypotheticals from here. Like I said, we did it back in April. This — sent a letter, very similar — a — a letter — a letter from both the State Department and the Department of Defense. We got a constructive response. That’s what we’re hoping to see. We wanted to address this.
This is connected to a decrease of humanitarian assistance — aid that is very, very much needed in Gaza, as you all know. And so, that’s what — that — this is a — a — we’ve done this before, it’s worked, and so we’re — we’re doing this again. And so, we want to see a constructive response.
Go ahead.
Q Just one follow-up there.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q If — if the Israelis have 30 days to sort of make changes — a 30-day deadline — that’s after the election. Doesn’t that take some of the bite out of this ultimatum?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I’m not going to — I’m not going to get into a timeline from here. I’m not going to get into — into those types of specifics. I would refer you to the State Department and Department of Defense.
I think what’s important is — important here is to not forget: We’ve done this before back in April. We want — we’ve seen a decrease of aid, and we certainly want to make sure that that is addressed. That is why the letter went out. That’s why we’re talking — we’re having those conversations with the Israelis. And so, I’m going to leave it there.
Q Yesterday, former President Trump seemed to leave open the possibility that he has, in fact, talked to Vladimir Putin since leaving office. What does the White House make of that?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I’m not going to get into specifics about conversations with — with world leaders from here. I’m not going to get into that — those specifics from here at all.
Q Does the White House have any evidence that that could be true?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I don’t — I think I’ve answered this question before. We don’t have any — any — anything to confirm. That — that spetic- — that specific statement from the former president, I just don’t have anything else to add.
Q If I can ask —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Sure.
Q — domestically, President Obama seemed to indicate that he was worried some voters might be trying to make excuses for not voting for a woman. I’ve heard that myself from a lot of voters out on the campaign trail.
I understand you can’t talk about politics and the campaign. But have you seen moments or do you believe that — that this has been a unique challenge for Vice President Harris in her role as vice president?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, look, here’s the thing. Here’s what I can say: Both this president and this vice president are very much proud of what they have been able to deliver for the Black community and many other communities. Historic — historic results.
Obviously, there’s always more work to be done, and that’s something that we say. Whether it’s about the economy, whether it’s about health care, there’s always more work to be done.
But we’re proud of what we have been able to see, when we think about record wealth, including, like, obviously, record wealth, employment, small businesses. We’ve seen a boost in small-business applications within the Black community and other — just more broadly, not just the Black community.
And so, we understand there’s more work to be done. We’re certainly going to continue to do that work, and that’s what I can speak to. And that is something that I know both this president and the vice president are very proud of doing.
Q Do you think she’s had to overcome sexism as the first female vice president?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, I’m not going to — I’m not going to get into it from here. What I can say is that we are all very proud of what the vice president has been able to accomplish with this president as a critical partner over the past four years. And you don’t ha- — just have to look at her career as — almost four years, I should say — as vice president. We look at her record as senator, as attorney general of California. I think it’s been a — she’s had an impressive record.
And, you know — and she’s done that with everything — all the — the headwinds that come at her, she’s been able to get that done.
Go ahead.
Q Is — you were talking about the — just to go back to the Germany trip.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q Is there any update on the Ramstein summit that was –is it postponed? Is it canceled? Or —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I don’t have an update for you on that. I — I’m su- — I’ll be sure to check with the team, but I just don’t have anything on that.
Q Is the president expected to have any meetings with any other foreign leaders during the trip?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We’ll certainly have more to share. Obviously, a big part of this meeting, of this trip — travel that he’s doing is going to be around Ukraine, the continuing support of Ukraine — of Ukrainians as they continue certainly to beat back Russia’s aggression.
And — and we’ve been very proud — the president has been very proud to do that and continue. And, obviously, one of the reasons we’re going to Germany, as I — as I mentioned, which — Chancellor Scholz as a partner in that.
And so, we’ll — certainly, we’ll have more to share. But just a little bit more broadly, I would state — I mentioned Russia’s war in Ukraine — managing the crises in the Middle East, maintaining stability in the Indo-Pacific region, strengthening the transatlantic alliance, illustrating that the relationship in — is both dynamic and also enduring.
And so, I think that’s important to note. And the president, as I stated at the top, he wanted to make this trip. This is a trip that he wanted to do to thank the chancellor for his support. And so, that’s what you’re going to see from the two leaders, and we’ll certainly have more to share.
I will also state that at 4 o’clock, National Security Council will have a press call. So, certainly, you should join that.
Q Thank you. Just one more to follow up —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q — on Aamer’s question on the president’s comments about the vice president last night. The — Ron Klain told — told us in August that the White House could have done more to promote the vice president. He said, quote, “We were all united behind the idea she should be successful. We just didn’t find the path to do it.” Does the president agree?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: What I will say is — and I think the — certainly, the first part of your quote, I — is — is something that I know to be true. Like, the president has always wanted the vice president to be successful. And she has been successful, and he could not be more proud of her as he is today.
I think what she — what he laid out yesterday — obviously, that was a political event that he — that he spoke at, but I think lays out his thinking, how he sees the vice president not just now but moving forward in what she’s trying to accomplish at this moment.
And — and I think she has had a lot of successes to point to over the last three and a half years. And I also stated her time — her record as a senator, her record as attorney general, as district attorney in — in San Francisco. She’s had an impressive record.
And so, I — anything else beyond that, I certainly will leave it to the vice president and her team to speak specifically on.
Go ahead.
Q Just back to Ukraine. It’s been more than a month now since the president told us that there were discussions about allowing Ukraine to fire long-range missiles deeper into Russian territory. Is he heading into this conversation with Zelenskyy today and into this trip to Germany with a decision made on that?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: What I will say is, look, the United States policy on that has not changed. It has not changed. But I think what’s important here is that we are committed. We are — continue to be committed to Ukraine, to the Ukrainians having everything that it needs, especially on the battleground, as they are fighting against Russia’s aggression. That is our commitment. That is what you —
We — I just made an announcement — right? — just moments ago about an assistance — how much more we’re going to be providing as — as we understand what’s needed on the ground, on the battlefield. And so, the president is probably talking to the — President Zelenskyy right now. We are going to continue to show that support. And I just don’t have anything to say. Our policy has not changed beyond that.
Q So, he’s decided against allowing that capability?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, I’ll say this. In May, the president directed his team to ensure — right? — that Ukraine is able to use U.S.-supplied weapons for cross-border strikes so Ukraine can hit back against Russia — Russian forces that are — that are attacking them or preparing to attack them as part of their current Russian offense.
It’s — it’s common sense, right? It is common sense that they should be able to hit back against what’s hitting them and to deny Russian forces that are using staging locations just across the border a safe haven. That was what we were able to do back in Ba- — in May.
Our policy with respect — with respect to prohibiting the use of ATACMS or long-range strikes inside of Russia has not changed. That is not going to change. It has not changed at this — at this moment. Don’t have anything else to preview, but we will continue to have conversations with the Ukrainians, providing what they — what they need on the battle- — on the battlefield. That is a commitment. We want to be there for the Ukrainians as they continue to beat back Russia’s aggression.
Q All right. And on the SBA funding. It sounded, last week, when the president was talking about this, that he wanted Congress to come back early to pass more funding for the Small Business Administration, but he didn’t mention that in his statement last night. Has he — has he given up on —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, what I will say —
Q — calling Congress back?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: — what he did mention in his statement last night is that Speaker Johnson has said and is committed and promised that he was going to fund — promised that he was going to fund not just that but other disaster programs. And so, he said that will be replenished by Congress. And so, that’s the commitment that he made. That’s what we want to see.
And we want to also make sure that people out there who need — who need these particular resources, they continue to apply for loans, and the SBA is going to continue to process those application. But Speaker Johnson made a commitment, and certainly we want to see that commitment follow through.
Q Thanks.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Danny.
Q Thanks, Karine. Back to the Middle East. The — the U.S. — specifically, the State Department — said yesterday that it was — the U.S. was opposed to the Israeli bombing of Beirut as it was being carried out at the moment. Hours after that, there were fresh Israeli airstrikes on — on southern Beirut.
Again, what gives you any confidence that Prime Minister Netanyahu is listening to what Washington is asking him to do?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look — and you’re right. We have told Israel directly that we oppose any Israeli campaign to certainly — of near-daily strikes in densely populated area in Beirut. We — you are correct. That is something that we have been very clear about.
We — we also understand that what they’re conducting — the operations that they’re conducting to destroy Hezbollah infrastructure is — is targeted. And so, we’ll continue to have those conversations with the Israeli government, and that is something that we will continue to do.
And we have been really clear. It is critical — it is critical that these operations be conducted in a way — in a way that does not threaten the lives of civilians. Conversations that we will continue to have with the Israeli government — and let’s not forget, U.N. peacekeepers and also members of the Lebanese Armed Forces.
And so, we’ve been clear. We’re going to continue to have those diplomatic discussions with the Israelis.
Q And in the White House’s view, how did the — yesterday’s strikes — you know, what category did they fall into? Acceptable or —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, I’m not going to get into characterizing each of these strikes. It’s not what I’m going to do from here. We’ve been very clear what we want to see. We’ve been very clear about that from here, you — as you stated, from the State Department and Department of Defense as well. And we will continue to have these discussions.
Go ahead.
Q Thank you so much, Karine. Does the White House have any indication or explanation on why the tensions is escalating in the Korean Peninsula? And is the White House concerned about it?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Say that last part.
Q The Korea — the peninsula — Korea, the tension growing over there —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, look —
Q — is the White House concerned about it?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, obviously, we’re always going to have concerns, and we’re always going to watch and monitor closely. Don’t have anything specific to read out on the current — current situation there. We are going to always, as I said, monitor, watch closely, and certainly be in coordination with our South Korean allies.
And so, look, we’re going to also continue to urge the North — North Korea to reduce tensions and — and seize any actions that could increase the risk of conflict. And that is something that we’ve been pretty consistent here.
Q And a follow-up and then I have one more. Because their report is that Net- — North Korea is sending soldiers to fight with Russia in Kor- — in Ukraine. Some are suggesting that there are around 3- to 7,000 soldiers already in few miles from the Ukrainian border. Does the White House have any response or concern about it?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, we’ve always said we’ve been concerned when we’ve always asked about — about other countries providing aid or assistance to Russia. We’ve been very clear about that.
This is why the president took it very seriously on making — making sure that NATO was stronger and — and bringing more than 50 countries together to make sure that Ukrainians had the support that they need.
You just heard me speak about an assistance that — another assistance package that we are going to be speaking more about delivering, and that is a conversation that the pres- — President Biden is having with President Zelenskyy. And that is going to be a really important part of the conversation that the president has when he’s in Germany.
So, we’re going to continue to provide assistance, show our support for Ukraine, stand by the Ukrainians. And so, that’s going to be our focus in the next couple of days and continued focus, obviously, since the past almost two years now.
Q And just the last one. You are announcing international trips for the next few months. Is President Biden going to Brazil for the G20, and does the White House believe that Vladimir Putin should be arrested if he goes to Brazil for the G20?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I don’t have anything to share on either of those questions that you asked me.
Go ahead, Jared.
Q On the call with Zelenskyy. I know earlier today Zelenskyy made public parts of that victory plan. I assume he’d already shared it with President Biden. But one of those elements is an immediate invitation to NATO. Does the White House, the president have a response to — to that proposal?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, what I will say — and I’ve been very clear about this. Look, we’re going to let — we’re going to let the Ukrainians speak to their victory plan. That’s their plan. We’ll let them speak to it.
What we’re going to continue to do is show our support for the Ukrainians on the battlefield as they continue to beat back Russia’s aggression. I don’t have anything else to share beyond that. But we’ll let them speak to their plan directly.
Go ahead.
Q Yeah. (Clears throat.) Excuse me. Thanks, Karine. Yesterday, President Biden talked about Trump’s rally, in which he stood up on the — the stage and listened to various musical tunes, and said the former president has, quote, “snapped” and “become unhinged.” Can you elaborate what he’s concerned about there? Does he have concerns that Trump lacks the mental fitness to — to be able to go back —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean —
Q — into the White House?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: — I don’t have anything to add. I think the president was very clear on what he felt and saw and was — and was sharing with all of you. I don’t think there’s anything more to add.
Q But does he feel — does he have concerns about his — the former president’s mental fitness?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I — I don’t have anything else to add. I think the president speaks loud and clear and directly for himself, and so I’d let his words stand.
Go ahead.
Q Thanks, Karine. Senator — Senator Rick Scott and Senator Rubio have proposed $20 billion to replenish the Disaster Relief Fund. Has the president seen that proposal? Would he sign it if it did pass?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, as you know, when we — when we tried to do, originally, the CR, we had a robust — robust component in that CR to make sure that the Disaster Relief Fund was replenished. That didn’t go through. We were disappointed by that, obviously.
And — and so, what we want to see, I’m not going to put a number to it. That is something that’s going to be worked out. What we want to see is Congress, when they come back, to actually do that — to actually replenish the Disaster Relief Fund.
It is important to do so. While we have the fundings right now, to do the work that FEMA needs to do, that this administration needs to do to impacted areas, we know that there’s going to be a shortfall and we’re going to need more funding.
I’m not going to get into a number. I have not spoken to the president or the Office of Leg Affairs about this particular proposal that has been brought for- — forth, but the president has been very clear.
I just talked about the SBA and how that — that funding is now exhausted. The speaker made a promise — the Speaker Johnson made a promise that, when Congress returns, that they’re going to replenish the Disaster Relief Fund and also make sure that CBA has what it needs to really address the needs of — of Americans who have been impacted in — in — on the ground.
Q Is there a timeline for when FEMA would know how much the administration wants to use?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Say that one more time.
Q Is there a timeline for when FEMA would have an estimate for how much money they’re looking for?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I would — I would refer you directly to FEMA about that specific timeline, a number that’s needed. What we are very clear about is we need to make sure that we have funding — additional funding for the Disaster Relief Fund. That’s why we included it in the CR.
As you know, it was a robust number. We wanted to see that get through. It did not get through. And we — we are seeing these storms coming through and what they’re doing and how they’re devastating areas. The president was able to survey, obviously, what occurred in — in Florida after Hurricane Milton.
And so, we want to make sure those funds are there. Speaker Johnson made a promise. He said that that was going to happen. So, that’s what we want to see.
I know. I think we have to start wrapping up soon.
Q Just to follow up on the president’s comments about the vice president cutting her own path if elected.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q I know the two of them speak regularly, but just wondering if the two have specifically had conversations about how she would do that if elected, whether the president is offering advice or whether she’s asked for guidance in that arena.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I don’t have any details to spe- — to their specific conversations. As you know, the president and the vice president work closely together, as I just talked about the two hurricanes that came through. You saw them working side by side in dealing with the impacts of the hurricane and making sure that we’re responding to folks on the ground.
And, look, they’re going to continue to work closely together. The president knows what it’s like to be the vice president and knows what it takes to be the vice president and what’s needed there. And so, he is certainly very proud of the work that she’s been able to do. I’m not going to get into details or specifics of private conversations that they have.
Go ahead, Annie.
Q Oh, thanks so much. The automaker Stellantis has said that they are considering expanding a factory in Mexico. I’m wondering if the White House has any response to this possibility and whether you can address concerns that domestic jobs may be lost or — or moved overseas.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, last year, as you know, we applauded UAW and also Stellantis for coming together after hard, good-faith — which is what we always love to see — negotiations and also re- — reaching a historic agreement that secured record raises, greater retirement security, and investment in the future.
And so, that included a commitment to reopen and expand production in communities that were devastated by previous plant closures.
And so, look, what we want to see is Stellantis, certainly, deliver on those commitments to the UAW and to the communities, and so — not just any communities but communities that have long supported the industry. That’s what we want to see.
And so, we want Stellantis to keep their commitment. Again, we were very proud to see that very good-faith negotiation that occurred and what was delivered. And so, that’s what we want to see at the end of the day.
I know we have to go.
AIDE: Yeah.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay. We have to go. Sorry, guys.
Q Thank you.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Thanks, everybody.
12:25 P.M. EDT
