President Joe Biden ignored shouted questions from reporters after he delivered remarks with first lady Jill Biden to educators attending the National Education Association’s Representative Assembly on Tuesday.
While the conference is taking place in Orlando, the Bidens took part in it virtually from the White House complex’s South Court Auditorium, with the president telling attendees, ‘By the way, arming teachers is not the answer.’
Gun violence was on the brain as the president earlier Tuesday had put out a statement condemning the wave of shootings that shook American cities in the lead-up to the Fourth of July holiday.
The president has yet to address the bigger headline coming out of the White House – that a preliminary test determined that a bag of white powder discovered in a West Wing office space Sunday night was cocaine.
After the president’s remarks to the virtual NEA crowd he beelined to the exit with Dr. Biden, ignoring reporters’ shouts.
President Joe Biden (left) and first lady Jill Biden (right) virtually addressed educators attending the National Education Association’s Representative Assembly in Orlando on Tuesday. Biden didn’t take questions as he walked out
The president was pressed on whether he was working on a deal with the Russians for the release of Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich.
The Kremlin has expressed an openness for another prisoner exchange.
Reporters then shouted over each other as Biden walked out.
The White House did put out a long statement about gun violence over the weekend.
‘Over the last few days, our nation has once again endured a wave of tragic and senseless shootings in communities across America – from Philadelphia to Fort Worth, Baltimore to Lansing, Wichita to Chicago,’ Biden’s statement said. ‘Today, Jill and I grieve for those who have lost their lives and, as our nation celebrates Independence Day, we pray for the day when our communities will be free from gun violence.’
Biden also noted how the Fourth of July is the one-year anniversary of the Highland Park, Illinois shooting – in which an AR-15 was used.
‘In the year since, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering, legislative leaders, and numerous advocates, and gun violence survivors have fought tirelessly to turn the pain of Highland Park and other acts of gun violence into meaningful action on behalf of all Illinoisans,’ Biden said.
‘This past January, they succeeded in banning assault weapons – like the one used in Highland Park – as well as high-capacity magazines across Illinois,’ the president continued. ‘Their achievement will save lives. But it will not erase their grief.’
Biden said the recent spate of shootings proved that more gun control laws needed to be implemented.
‘It is within our power to once again ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, to require safe storage of guns, to end gun manufacturers’ immunity from liability, and to enact universal background checks,’ the president encouraged.
‘I urge other states to follow Illinois’ lead, and continue to call upon Republican lawmakers in Congress to come to the table on meaningful, commonsense reforms that the American people support,’ he added.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk