James S. Brady Press Briefing Room
2:49 P.M. EDT
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: All right. Good afternoon, everyone.
Q Good afternoon.
Q Hi, Karine.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Hi.
Q Hi.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Hi, Weijia.
All right. I just have one thing at the top, and then we'll get started.
So, today, we are praying for the people of Florida and others along the southeast coast who are being impacted by Tropical Storm Debby, including those who have tragically lost their lives.
The president continues to receive updates from his team on the impacts of the storm and federal efforts to support the state and local response.
The Biden-Harris administration has been in close touch with officials from affected states, and FEMA has deployed staff to the region to support as needed.
FEMA has also deployed multiple Incident Management Assistance Teams, Urban Search and Rescue Teams, as well as water and meals.
Additionally, personnel from DOD, HHS, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and U.S. Coast Guard have deployed and are prepared to support as needed.
The president has approved emergency declaration requests from the governors of Florida, South Carolina, and Georgia, which will unlock additional federal resources.
This storm isn't over yet, so we urge everyone in its path to remain vigilant, heed the warnings of local officials, and visit Ready.gov — again, Ready.gov — for tips on how to stay safe.
Darlene, good to see you.
Q Good to see you too. Thank you.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: All right.
Q Did the president get the news about Walz before news organizations started reporting on it or after?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I can say that the president did receive a call this morning from the vice president ahead — ahead of — ahead of the confirmation, the news being out there.
Q So, he heard it first from the vice president?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: He heard it first from the vice president, yes.
Q And can you give us a little bit of color about where he was when he took the call? Was he in the Oval? Was he —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, what I can tell you: He was here at the White House. I — I can't pinpoint where exactly he was — if he was here or the Residence. But he definitely heard from the vice president first. She called him to let him know of her pick.
Q And then one foreign policy question. The readout of the president's call with El-Sisi included this line that said President Biden thanked him "for his determined leadership in the facilitation of negotiations that have now reached a final stage."
I was a little surprised by the reference to "final stage."
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q Can you elaborate on — on that a little bit?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, I — I'm not going to go beyond what the president stated. We have been very clear that it is important that the — the ceasefire deal, the hostage deal gets done. It has been a priority for this president for some time now.
His team — you heard from National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan last week — last Thursday when he spoke about this. This has been a priority.
You've heard from the president directly. He wants to get this done. He wants the war to end. He wants hostages to come home and to go home to their loved ones and families.
And so, we believe th- — this — this war, the end of this war would significantly lower tensions in the region. And so, we have been, certainly, laser focused on getting that done.
I don't have anything beyond the readout that you received from us moments ago.
Q And then, quickly, is there any reaction to the announcement a short time ago by Hamas that they've chosen Sinwar as their new leader?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Don't have anything to — to say at this point.
Q Thank you.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead.
Q Thank you, Karine. Did President Biden have a favorite contender in the veepstakes? And did he express that to the vice president?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, what — here's what I'll say — and I want to point you to the president's statement — right? — that he put out not too long after the vice president made her announcement.
Going to be really mindful. We've b- — follow the law here and can't comment on 2024.
But just to say, like, he — what he did mention, he has known Governor Walz for two decades and worked with him when they both served in Congress and then during the Biden-Harris administration in his capacity as governor of Minnesota.
President Biden respects Governor Walz as a strong, principled, effective leader who fights for working people; someone who has never forgotten where he came from, growing up on a Midwestern farm.
President Biden respects Governor Walz's life of service, serving in the Army National Guard for 24 years and becoming the highest-ranking enlisted soldier to serve in Congress; serving his community as a teacher, as a high school football coach; and serving as governor, where Governor Walz lowered the cost of insulin to 35 bucks, has fought to protect women's fundamental rights, ended junk fees, and cut taxes for middle-class families.
The president is grateful that they have been able to work together to get those important priorities done for — for more — obviously, for the American people more broadly.
Look, if you're asking me if the vice president sought the — the president's advice. She did. And we have said this before and I've said this many times: They are a strong team together. She is a critical partner to this president; she has been for the past three and a half years. And they have discussions regularly of both domestic and international importance. And this was — this situation is no different.
And so, he did offer up his advice, and I will leave it there.
Q Okay. Turning to the economy. In light of the July jobs report, Claudia Sahm said that she doesn't think that the country is in a recession right now "but we're getting uncomfortably close to that situation." Does the president, his team agree with that? And — and what are they doing to prevent that from happening?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, here's what I'll say, and just a couple of things at the top here. While we've seen some volatility — we admit that; we have seen that — our broader economy remains resilient. And we see that because of the data, obviously, that's been coming out over the past not just couple of months but the co- — the past couple of years.
And what we have seen recently is consumers remain resilient and business investment remains strong. Unemployment, while up from 50-year lows, is still low at 4.3 percent, and that's important. You think about inflation, it's down by 2.5 percent. And the stock market is more than 35 percent under this administration — is — is up more, pardon me, than 35 percent under this administration.
And so, what we're going to focus on — we're going to focus on the middle class. We're going to focus on working families. We're going to focus on continuing to lower costs, whether it's prescription drugs, building homes that are affordable for folks, and taking on price gouging.
It's very different than what the other side, Republicans want to do. They want to give tax breaks to billionaires, corporations. That what we — that's what we continue to see them talk about wanting to do. And let's not forget, they want to — they want to make sure that Social — cut Social Security and Medicare. That is what they've been saying that they're going to do.
We are going to — the economic team is going to continue to monitor the situation, but we believe that the economy remains resilient, and that's what's going to be our focus.
Q Thank you.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead.
Q Hey, Karine. Thank you. In the last hour, the Justice Department announced that a Pakistani man with ties to Iran was arrested for a plot to kill former President Trump. His plot was foiled. We're not even a month from the assassination attempt in Pennsylvania. What is the administration's reaction to this? I mean, another assassination attempt on a former president.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I'll say this. So, we are aware of the — of the indictment that you're mentioning by the DOJ today. Going to be really mindful. I will refer you to DOJ, as it's an ongoing law enforcement investigation.
I — I'll add this, that based on DOJ's ongoing investigation, there has been no evidence to suggest that the individual named in today's indictment has any connection to the assassination attempt against former President Trump that happened in Butler, Pennsylvania. But I — but anything else, that is something that I would have to refer you —
Q But the White House would–
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: — to Department of Justice.
Q — condemn what happened? I mean, this — this alleged plot.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, we have said many, many times — and I want to be really clear, because this is a DOJ — it's an ongoing law enforcement DOJ indictment, so I'm going to be really mindful. But we have said many times that we have been tracking Iranian threats against former politicians. We've been very clear about that. These threats arise from Iran's desire to seek revenge for the killing of — of Qassem Soleimani.
We consider this a national and homeland security matter of the highest priority — the highest priority. We have repeatedly met at the highest levels of our government to develop and implement a comprehensive response to this — to these threats.
As part of the comprehensive response, we have invested extraordinary resources in developing additional information about these threats, disrupting individuals involved in these threats, enhancing protective arrangements and potential targets of these threats, engaging with foreign partners, and directly warning Iran.
So, we've been clear. We have said this for the past — past several months, for some time now. But as I just stated, we're aware of the indictment announcement today by DOJ. That is something DOJ to speak directly to on the specifics.
Q If I may follow up on Iran just very briefly.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Sure.
Q And I appreciate it. Israel could be under attack any moment from Iran. U.S. troops in Iraq were injured yesterday. Why have we not heard directly from President Biden this week? We know he met with his team yesterday.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yep.
Q We know today is VP Harris's big day. But he's still the president. Where is he?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, here's the thing. You have seen the president. He has — he has been very clear about — about making sure that we continue to try to de-escalate tensions. We just put out two readouts, a readout — two readouts today, a readout yesterday.
And our — our focus right now is to make sure that we continue to dry — to try to de-escalate tensions here. And that's what the president has been doing. He's been very focused on that, talking to our partners to make sure that we get that done.
I was asked about — I was by — from that readout that we just put out, I was asked about the ceasefire deal and what the president — that last line that the — that was pointed out to me. That is something that the president has been focused on, getting that done.
I don't have anything beyond what we put out, but we're monitoring the situation closely. We want to make sure that we get to — we get to continue to have those de-escalation conversation. You had Secretary Blinken has a number — had had a number of conversation with partners.
The president, as I just said, speaking to King Ab- — Abdullah — King — the king of Jordan yesterday and the leaders of Qatar and Egypt this morning. We put out a readout. And so, that's what he's doing. That's what he's going to continue to focus on doing is trying to make sure that we de- — de-escalate tensions.
Q Can we expect to see him this week? Because I know you guys haven't been putting out the schedule. You know, we've been getting it the night before —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I —
Q — so what's —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We are in a different time —
Q What can we expect?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: — as I've said many times before, and you will get to see the president. That I can say.
Look, it is certainly the president's priority to make sure that we do everything that we can to protect our national security — right? — to pro- — to make sure that we do everything that we can to work with our — our partners. And de-escalating the tensions in the Middle East is certainly something that we want to make sure that — that we continue to do.
I do want to mention — you mentioned Hezbollah attacks on Israel last night. I do want to add that we — while we do not believe the response has started yet, we remain concerned by the increase in violence, including the firing of drones by Hezbollah into Israel, and we're going to continue to have those conversation to continue to try to de-escalate the situation that we're in.
Go ahead.
Q Karine, I know you're limited in what you can say about this, but does the president plan to physically campaign with the new Democratic ticket?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Again, as you just stated, I'm limited on what can I — I can say about the president campaigning. You saw the president's statement. I kind of read a little bit from the statement today. I don't have anything else to add.
The president has known, again, the vice — the vice — the running mate nominee for vice president for some time, for a few decades. They have worked closely together on getting a lot of things done in the past three and a half years. And he put out his statement, and I'll leave it as that. And we will have more — the campaign will have more to share on what his —
Q Yeah, but is — is it —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: — his political events will look like.
Q Is it his intention —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: (Laughs.)
Q — to take time to campaign physically?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: The president, as he has stated, his intention is to focus on the American people, to deliver — continuing to deliver and build on the unprecedented successes — historic — historic successes that he has had in the last three and a half years with the vice president. That's his focus.
And I don't have anything else to add as it relates to the campaign. That's something the campaign can speak to.
Q In the foreign policy arena — you touched on this, but what more can you tell us about that suspected rock- — or that rocket attack in the air base in Iraq that injured seven personnel?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, yeah — so, that — so, there's been a lot of things happening, unfortunately. So, I will say this: The United States condemns the attack on the Al Asad base yesterday. Our hearts go out to the service members who were — who were injured, and we are hoping for a speedy recovery. We will respond to any attack against our personnel in a manner and place of our choosing.
And I can say the president was briefed on the attack at it — as it was underway, and the seven members were — were injured in the attack. Thankfully — thankfully, no one lost their lives, and we are praying for a speedy recovery for those service members.
Q And, Karine, you mentioned de-escalation efforts. But what — does the U.S. still believe that a retaliatory attack against Israel is imminent?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: What I can say is we're monitoring everything closely. What we are focusing on is, as you just stated in your — in your question to me is de- — having those de-escalation conversations. You just re- — you just saw two readouts that the president did and then also, obviously, the king of Jordan yesterday.
And so, that's what we're going to focus on. Secretary Blinken obviously has had multiple conversations as well. And so, that is our focus and we're going to continue — we're going to continue to monitor the situation.
Go ahead.
Q Hi, Karine. Thank you. I'm curious. Do you see any similarities between Governor Walz and the president in terms of the voters they connect with?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Can't speak to voters specifically. That's not something I'm going to do, especially as we're talking about 2024.
I think you can see from — and being really mindful here, I think you can see from the president's statements how much he appreciates Governor Walz, what he has been able to do for his — for his state, and also he has an impressive background. He is someone with values that the president appreciates. Obviously, now the vice president does as — as well, as — as she has picked him to be her running mate.
But I can't speak to voters about this. That is something the campaign can speak to more precisely. But the president has known the governor for some time — for decades now; appreciates working with him closely on getting big things done — on getting big things done for the American people more broadly.
Q Well, and on the economy, yesterday's stock market dip being the latest big concern for voters. I'm curious, I mean, what can Biden do in this last six months to restore confidence there?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, what we're going to stay laser focused on — and I said this moment ago when I was answering the question to Weijia — is going to work — focus on working families and — and middle class. That's what the president is going to continue to do.
He talks about building an economy from the bottom up, middle out. That's what he's going to focus on.
He talks about making sure that we're lowering costs and doing — continuing to do that, whether it's prescription drugs. Let's not forget: Because of this president, now we are able to to — to, you know, beat Big Pharma, Medicare is able to negotiate.
We want to make sure that we build — build more homes — affordable homes for Americans, lower costs. That is something that he wants to continue to do.
And I think because of the successes that we've had in the economy and doing just that, that's what the — the American people want to see.
More — more broadly, I would say the economy remains resilient, and that's going to be — our focus right now is going to be the — the American people.
Go ahead.
Q Karine, I just want to pick up on the economy question.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q So, I think one of the concerns is not so much about, you know, the stock market reaction specifically but that it reveals deeper concerns about the level of deficits and other sort of potential vulnerabilities. Are you — you know, I know you're monitoring what's happening, but what — what can you say about the — sort of the stability of the global economic system and whether —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q — yesterday's rout kind of sends troubling signals about how stable it is?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, as you just stated as well in your statement, our — our economic team is going to continue to monitor — right? — what's happening both here and around the world. That's something that they — they're going to do.
We believe the U.S. economy remains resilient and — with strong growth, investment, consumption, and productivity. And so, that is certainly our focus. And we're — look, we're going to continue to keep — keep an — keep an eye on what's happening. That's what the ec- — economic team is going to continue to do.
Again, we believe the economy remains resilient. There's data that proves that, whether it's unemployment, whether inflation down by 2.5 percent, whether it's consumers that remain — you know, remain resilient. All of those da- — those data points are important.
And so, we're going to focus on the middle class, the American people, working people, and seeing what else we can do to lower costs. That is what they care about, and that's going to continue to be our focus for the next five months.
Q A number of economists have called for emergency rate cuts. I realize the Fed rate is indepe- — independent. But to what extent are you sort of accelerating conversations? You know, has the president had any conversations recently with Jay Powell or other economists or his own advisers about the economy?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q I mean, did he get, you know, fully briefed yesterday about what was happening?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I can say the president and the vice president have been fully briefed by their economic team. They — that's something that they are regularly updated. And as I said, the economic — economic team is going to continue to monitor this very closely.
As it relates to the Fed, that is — they are independent. The president is very — has always been very serious about that, unlike the last administration.
The Fed is independent. We do not get involved in any monetary policy decisions that they make. They make that independently.
What we're focused on is how do we continue to build on the economy, build on the successes that we've been able to do the last three and a half years. And we understand what the president inherited when he walked in was a — you know, an economic — economy that was on the downturn. He had to turn that around. And that's what the president was able to do.
But we also understand that the American people still want to see more. They want to see lower costs, right? They still are feeling this, feeling what we saw — a once-in-a-century pandemic that the president had to deal with.
So, that's why our focus is going to be just that — the working class, the middle class, what else can we do to lower those costs, as we have been doing for the past three and a half years.
Go ahead.
Q Thank you, Karine. On the Middle East. All of the readouts on the president's discussions with various leaders have said that the goal is to de-escalate tensions. Are there any signs that that diplomacy is having its intended effect?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, we're going to continue to have those conversations. That's going to be really important.
Look, since beginning — since the — since the beginning of this conflict, we have worked to make sure Israel has what it needs to defend itself, to elevate [alleviate] the suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza, and manage risk in the region. That's what we have done.
That's why the president continues to work to make sure that we get a ceasefire deal, we get those hostages home, we increase — continue to increase humanitarian aid and end this war in Gaza. That's what we want to see.
And in the meantime, what we've been doing as well is having these diplomatic conversation and talking to our partners, as you just stated from the readouts that we put out today and also yesterday. And that's going to be our focus.
It's not just — it's not just the president and the vice president. It's also Secretary Blinken, it's his team that are having these conversations as well.
And so, that is the — our part that we're playing in this moment. We're going to continue to monitor the situation very, very closely. But these dip- — diplomatic conversation, these de-escalation — trying to de-escalate tensions is important as well.
Q The calls with the king of Jordan, the Lebanese government, the Qataris, the Egyptians —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q — the G7, what do you see as the result of those conversations?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, look, we have seen under this president what happens when you have diplomacy, when you talk to your partners and allies. This is som- — a president that has been able to get things done, whether it's lowering tensions or whether it's actually getting things done on behalf of our national security, making sure the Amer- — American people are kept safe, or what needs to happen in a region — right? — and in — in this particular instance, de-escalating tension in a particular region, which is the Middle East.
And so, the conversations happen. The — we have to continue — we have to continue to have these conversations. The president is going to do that, as we have seen in the last two days and beyond — not just the last two days. And so, that is our focus here today.
Q And on the selection of Governor Walz. The Democratic Party, once again, is rallying around Vice President Harris just today on the selection of her running mate. It was just 16 days ago that the president withdrew from the race himself. Has that unity and that enthusiasm surprised him at all?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I don't — I — look, what I will say is this. The president — and we've said this already. The president made his decision because he knew what needed to do — what to be — needed to be done. He said that in his letter. He said that in the Oval Office address. He talked about passing the ba- — the baton. He talked about unifying the party, and he believed the action that he took would unify the — the party, the Democratic Party. And we saw that, to your point.
So, he's not surprised. That's what he wanted. That's what he expected. And he also knew from the moment when he picked the vice president, Harris — right? — to be his running mate back in 2020, he said more — very recently, it was the best decision that he's made. And it was the best decision that he made because he knew that she would be ready — ready to lead on day one and has been a critical partner with him in the last three and a half years.
So, he's not surprised. He's not surprised that she was ready to go.
Go ahead, Danny.
Q Thanks, Karine. You mentioned the importance of diplomacy. Have there been any direct contacts with Tehran itself to say, as President Biden would say, "don't" or, you know, to tell them to (inaudible)?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, we send messages to Iran when it's in our interest. And I'm not, certainly, going to comment from here on the messages or our channels. That's not what I'm going to do from here.
What I will say is I've — that we've been clear that we will defend Israel, but we do not want this conflict to escalate or spread. We've been very consistent about that from here. We do not want it to — to spread further into the region.
We've convened the same messages to our counterparts in the region, as I just stated, and asked them to encourage Iran to refrain from escalating tensions. And so, these de-escalation conversations are going to continue. That's what we want to see. We're going to continue to have conversations on how to get the ceasefire deal done, to get hostages home to their families, to get that humanitarian aid — continuing to get that humanitarian aid into Gaza. And that's what we want to see. We want to see the war in Gaza end, and obviously we want to see a de-escalation in tensions as well in the region.
Q And just one other thing closer to home. Can we expect any kind of press conference from the vice president at any time soon?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Oh, that's for her team to speak to. I — I can't speak to that from here.
Go ahead.
Q Thanks, Karine. Just wanted to see — so, on the ceasefire, what is President Biden's current timeline? It's now, you know, almost middle of August. Does he think he can get this done by the end of his term? Or what is the timeline he is tracking?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We — it's critical, it's a priority to get this done, and we want to get it done as soon as possible. That's what we've been working on. His team has been working on this 24/7. It is critical. It is important to get these — this ceasefire done, to bring hostages home, to get that humanitarian aid in to Gaza, continuing to increase that humanitarian aid. He wants to see the ceasefire deal done.
Q And does he think it will be done before the election?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I don't have a timeline for you. This is not about politics here. This is not about the election. This is about the right thing to do, and that's what we want to see get done.
Q And then just on the economy. Has President Biden — you know, has he met with any bank C- — bank CEOs or have any plans to, you know, meet with, I don't know, maybe —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Don't have any meetings to read out to you at this time.
Go ahead, Annie.
Q Also — thank you – on the economy. Does the president have a view or does the White House have a view about what caused the sell-off on Monday, like what the sort of reason was for it?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, I can tell you that he's been briefed by his economic team. He and the vice president, they're aware. They're going to continue to stay updated. Don't have anything be- — beyond that.
What I can say is the broader economic remain — economy remains resilient, we believe. That's what we believe: The U.S. economy remains resilient. And we're going to continue to do the work on behalf of working — working Americans and also the middle class. That is going to be our focus.
Q And then there are some economists who believe that there's been a shift to where — inflation was a major concern and this sort of moment triggered a shift to the jobs numbers and unemployment being more significant. Can you speak to that at all, whether the White House views there being, like, a ground shift going on?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, what we're seeing is the steady — is the steady and stable growth we've called for. That's what we're seeing — talking about the jobs numbers from last — from last week, I believe.
And, look, this is a president that took on an economy that was in a downfall — right? — because of the pandemic. We saw businesses closing, schools closing, and he had to come in and do — and do what you've seen him do this past three and a half years: turn the er- — the economy around, restart the economy.
And we have seen the economy grew to — strong in 2.8 perc- — by 2.8 percent last quarter; nearly 16 million jobs; the lowest average unemployment, as I just mentioned, that we've seen; inflation down 2.5 percent. That's because of the work that this president has done.
So, we're seeing steady and stable growth as we have been talking about for some time, and we're seeing that. That's what we believe the jobs numbers showed us just last week.
It is very different than what Republicans in Congress want to do. They want to cut taxes for corporations and billionaires. That's not what we want to do, right? We want to give a break to working families and middle-class families.
They want to — they want to cut Social Security, Medicare.
That's not what we want to do. You've seen this president who wants to protect Social Security and Medicare.
So, that's our — that's our focus. That's what we're going to continue to do. But we believe that we are indeed in a steady and stable growth, as we've been talking about, and the economic team is going to continue to monitor the situations that have developed over the last 24 hours or so.
Go ahead.
Q When it comes to the situation in the Middle East, what signs is the administration seeing that Iran is preparing to attack Israel?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, we're going to continue to monitor the situation. You saw — I hope you saw the statement from the Department of Defense this past Friday on what they're doing with their force posture adjustments: preparing, making sure that we are giving Israel the increased support that they need.
In the meantime, we're going to continue to have these conversations. We're going to continue to try to do everything that we can to de-escalate the tensions, hence the readouts that we put out today and also yesterday. That's going to be our focus.
Anything else, I don't have anything beyond that, but we're continuing to monitor everything closely.
Go ahead, Emily.
Q Thanks, Karine. A couple questions for you. Now that Donald Trump is the Republican nominee, is he getting the intelligence briefings that it's traditional for presidential nominees to get?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, that's something for ODNI to speak to.
Q Okay.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I would refer you to them.
Q And then here at the White House, have you guys started the transition process? And who's going to be in charge of that? And —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Why? Are you trying to kick us out already?
Q No, it's a —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We've got five months.
Q It's a lot more work than people realize to pack up an administration.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I don't have anything to share about that at this time.
Go ahead. Go ahead.
Q Karine —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No, no, go ahead.
Q Thank you so much, Karine. On foreign policy, starting with Venezuela, can the White House clarify where it stands on Edmundo González? Does the administration see him as the legitimate president of Venezuela? And, if so, what steps are you taking or preparing to take to, you know, legitimize him?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, a couple of things. So — and I believe the — the State Department put — put out a statement just last week.
So, I'll say this: The United States has been in — in close coordination with regional and international partners following Venezuela's presidential election on June 28th and rapid declaration of the Na- — of the National Electoral Council that Nicolás Ma- — Maduro won without evidence. This is a critical moment for democracy in our shared hemisphere. The opposition and civil society have published more than 80 percent of the tally sheets received from polling stations throughout Venezuela, which indicate that Edmundo González Urrutia received the most votes by an insurmountable margin. Independent observers, preelection and exit polls, and quick counts corroborated these results.
The will of the people must be respected. At least 12 million Vene- — Venezuelans courageously went to the polls despite significant challenges and exercised their democratic right to vote.
Now is the time for the Venezuelan parties to begin a respectful, peaceful dialog and discussions in accordance with their laws and the votes of the people to chart the path forward for a more democratic, prosperous, and also secure Venezuela.
So, I'd reiterate the United States commitment to supporting this process of reestablished democratic norms in Venezuela and stand ready to consider ways to bolster these efforts jointly with our international partners.
Q Thank you.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q On Iran — and then I do have a question about Bangladesh because, of course —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q — it's very timely. But let me start with Iran.
Pakistan said at a recent OIC meeting that they would willingly supply Iran with mid-range missiles if the war continues. You know, what is the admin- — has the administration spoken to Islamabad about this, expressed concerns? And if so, what's the message?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, I think we've been very clear with our message, right? I've said — you — somebody asked me what's — how do we communicate with Iran. Obviously, we have — we — we have our par- — partners out there that does the communications. We have ways to do that. Obviously, I'm not going to lay that out — other ways to do that. But I'm not going to lay that out from here.
But I think we've been very clear. We've been very clear in our support for Israel and making sure they have what they need to defend themselves. And I don't think that you can look at this administration and not know what the message has been and what we have been very clear about.
And so, when — when we send messages to Iran, it is within our interest. And — and I'll just leave it there.
Q Okay. Then quickly on Bangladesh —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q — concerning events in Dhaka. Has the White House reached out to parties in Dhaka? And what would you like to see happen next?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, we — so, we're monitoring the situation in Bangladesh very closely. We have long called for respect of democratic rights in Bangladesh, and we urge that the interim government formation be democratic and inclusive.
We commend the army for the restraint they have showed. We encourage all parties to refrain from — from further violence and restore peace as quickly as possible.
We express our deep concern and sadness about the reports of casualties and injuries over the weekend and past weeks. And we share our deepest condolences with those who lost loved ones and those who are suffering.
It will be vital for the new government to carefully and credibly investigate all attacks and provide accountability and justice for victims.
Go ahead, Gerren.
Q Thanks, Karine. Today is the 59th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, and data from the Brennan Center for Justice shows that since the Supreme Court struck down Section 5 of the VRA, voter turnout gaps between Black and brown voters and white voters has continued to grow.
Given President Biden's executive order on expanding access to voter registration, is there any update the — the White House can provide to that? And does the president see the issue of voting rights as — as a top priority? Does he believe that he can have some renewed efforts to —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q — get those — those bills passed in Congress?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, as you know, today is the anniversary of 1965 Voting Rights. I believe the vice president put out — called for a day of action today. So, that's important to highlight the need — the need, as you just stated, of federal legislation and to — also to encourage all eligible Americans to exercise their right to vote.
I think that is something that not just, obviously, the vice president and the president have spoken to since almost day one — day one of their administration, when the president signed an executive order, to do everything that we can from the federal level to make sure that voting is — is more accessible — is more easily accessible to Americans across the country. And that is something that the president understands and continues to do everything that we can to make that happen.
The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act — that is something that we want to see get done. We have to see legislation. In order to deal with this issue, we have to see legislation.
And so, we're going to continue to call on that. They have to — Congress has to do everything that they can to protect f- — our freedom to vote. And so, it is part of our democracy.
And so, in the meantime, we're working to ensure that every eligible American can exercise their right to vote and have their vote counted. And I can assure you, that is something both the president and the vice president are committed to. And you saw that because of the — them sign — him signing the EO very early on in his administration — I believe on day one of his administration.
Q Another question.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q As the vice president begins her battleground state travels this week, many Black and brown Americans are still looking to learn more about the vice president, particularly her work here at the White House.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q And given that, can you speak to the role the vice president has — had played in advising or crafting some of this administration's signature equity policies, whether that be Justice 40 investments in infrastructure and climate or investments in Black businesses, et cetera?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, look, they're partners. The president and the vice president have been critical partners. They are. They're partners in everything that has been done outside — out — come out of this administration, the Biden-Harris administration.
And you just mentioned a few things, right? You think about the CHIPS and Science Act, the bipartisan infrastructure legislation, the PACT Act, all of these important, critical legislation — the American Rescue Plan, Inflation Reduction Act — those are — those are — those are legislation that she was very involved in.
And at the center of those historical piece of legislation, you had equity. Equity was always at the center of that, making sure no community is left behind.
And so, she's been at the table. She has been giving voice to these critical decisions that they both made together. And they recognize that advancing equity is a generational commitment that requires sustained federal leadership, that requires to make sure that we partner with ou- — our communities as well.
And so, this is something that we are going to continue to do. We talk about the next five months. Obviously, that's something that this president and the Biden-Harris administration wants to continue to do and uphold. I mentioned today how the — the vice president ca- — called today a day of action because it is an anniversary of 1965 Voting Rights Act.
And so, we are acutely aware — we are acutely aware of what's going on, and that's why the president, on day one, signed that executive action.
Go ahead.
Q Thanks, Karine.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q A couple of questions on disparate topics.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q One of the president's aspirations for the remainder of his term is Supreme Court reform or restructuring —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q — however you want to term it. At the weekend, Justice Gorsuch said in a TV interview, quote, "I just say, be careful."
Does the White House have any response either to the implication of that —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No —
Q — lack of carefulness or —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No, I'm not —
Q — of him (inaudible) —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I'm not going to comment to the — to the justice. The president made himself very clear. Over a week ago, he went to Austin, Texas; went to LBJ Library; gave a very, I believe, important speech — he believes an important speech on — on reform and — for SCOTUS — right? — Supreme Court reform. It is important. He — and he laid out three ways to get to — to that point.
A lot of that — obviously, those three ways that he laid out — is supported. Many of that is supported by conservatives, you know, experts on this. And, look, the president believes that nobody is above the law. Nobody is above the law. The highest court of the land should not be above the law.
And he's going to — he wants to work with Congress on making that happen. He laid that out very, very clearly. I'm not going to respond to the justice.
Q And — and just a very different —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah. Sure.
Q — topic, Karine. We're just a day or two away from the one-year anniversary of the wildfires that —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q — affected Maui and — and specifically Lahaina so seriously.
As far as I know, there are a l- — a number of people still struggling with long-term housing needs and so forth.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q What's the federal government doing about that?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, we want to take a moment to remember the 102 individuals whose lives were lost and thousands of survivors who — whose lives were changed — forever changed because of what happened almost a year ago.
In April, the temporary elementary school opened for the hundreds of students displaced by the fires, providing the students with the assurance they would have a school to return to by the end of the summer. FEMA continues to work closely with state officials — that is something, obviously, FEMA is committed to — and relocate survivors from hotel.
It's a long — this is a long-term process. We understood that it would not take — this would not take weeks or months. This is going to take some time. But FEMA continues to work on this. You have — the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers continues to make — to make significant progress. The president made clear when he visited Maui that this administration will continue to do everything that it — it can to make sure that people get back on its feet.
It's a long process and — but we're still there. I just mentioned the U.S. Army Corps. I just mentioned FEMA. And we're going to continue to do everything that we can to get pe- — to get folks back on their feet. But also, do not want to forget the lives that were lost.
Go ahead.
Q If we were to see the president this week and he were to discuss the — what's happening on Wall Street, is there a direct message he could say to investors to prevent a future sell-off like the one we saw earlier this week?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, I'm — I'm not going to — to speak to that directly. What I'm going to speak to is the economy as we see it right now. As we view it, it is resilient. That is what's important. We s- — I've laid out the data points of why we believe this economy continues to be resilient.
We are going to focus on what matters to the American people also, which is — make sure that we lower costs for them. That's going to be our focus.
Our economic team, they're going to monitor everything closely. They're going to update the president and the vice president. And that's what we're going to focus on.
Q Thanks, Karine.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead.
Q Thank you. Two weeks ago, the president said he would appoint a new director to the Secret Service following the resignation of former Director Cheatle. Is there an update on that process? Could it happen before the election, or, perhaps, it's after the election? Is there an- — is there any update on the —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q — independent review to —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, this is — I mean, this is not about politics. It's not about the election here. This is about making sure that we find the right person for the job. The president has always taken that very seriously when it comes to appointing people for important positions here in this administration.
I don't have a timeline, a update for you at this time. But the president is thinking through this. He wants to make sure that we have the right person for the job. And once we have an announcement, obviously, we will share that with all of you.
Okay.
Q And is there any update on the independent review into the Trump assassination attempt?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah, I don't have an update on the independent review. Obviously, when the — when we saw the assassination attempt of the former president, the president took that very seriously. He spoke right after, talked about wanting to make sure that we had an independent review, wanted to make sure that the American people got the answers. And so, we're going to cont- — they're going to work — continue to work on that — and also talked about lowering the rhetoric — right? — making sure that we lower the temperature.
He condemned that act of violence. There should be no form of violence in our politics. And so, he's going to continue to be very clear about that.
The review continues. Once we — once they have more to share, certainly, we will share that with all of you.
Go ahead, Toluse.
Q Thank you. Republicans are attacking Governor Walz as a radical liberal. They've pointed to his policies on climate, on gender, on free school meals for children, free tuition. One Republican congressman said that the Harris-Walz ticket would be a "socialist dream."
And I wonder if you have a response from the White House or the president.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: (Laughs.) I mean, look, I think — I — this is some- — it's a place where I would refer you to, obviously, the president's statement about Governor Walz. And I certainly will leave it there.
But when it comes to the Biden-Harris administration, we cannot forget we inherited a skyrocket- — -rocketing murder rate. That's something that we inherited from the prior administration. And working together, we were — not only turned around — turned that around but have brought — brought violent crime to a 50-year low. That is something that the president was able to do with his partnership with the vice president.
And, you know, we want to continue to make sure that we — for example, when we think about gun crime, we want to continue to work on that. And we were able to pass the — a legislation that we hadn't seen on gun — on fighting gun violence in 30 years. That is something that the president and this vice president has been able to do.
So, we have taken this really seriously. And right now, majority of House Republicans want to defund the police by cotti- — cutting the COPS program.
You think about the American Rescue Plan — the reason why we were able to deal with crime in this country — Republicans didn't vote on it. Not one Republican voted for the American Rescue Plan.
So, I think we have shown how much we want to deliver for the American people. That is what this administration is about. This administration is about — it doesn't matter if you're a red state or blue state; the president wants to make sure he's delivering for the American people, and that's his focus.
Q And one more —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: And you saw that from the — obviously, the vice president being partners. That's the focus.
Q One more on former Speaker Pelosi. She was on television yesterday. She was asked whether or not she's spoken to the president since he dropped out of the presidential race. She said she had not. She was asked if their relationship was okay, and she said, "You'd have to ask him." So, what is the status of the relationship with the president and the former speaker?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, as far as the last time they spoke, I'm not going to get into private communications here or — or conversations. Just not going to speak to that.
Look, President Biden respects his good friend Speaker Pelosi. We believe it's mutual.
And her statement — I'll just read it to you all here: "His legacy of vision, values, and leadership make him one of the most consequential presidents in American history. With love and gratitude to President Biden for always believing in the promise of America and giving people the opportunity to reach their fulfillment. God blessed America with Joe Biden's greatness and goodness."
Again, he respects his good friend former Speaker Pelosi. And we believe it's mutual, as I just read her quote right after he made his — his decision.
All right, everybody. I'll see you tomorrow.
Thank you.
Q Thank you.
3:33 P.M. EDT
