President Joe Biden (D) appeared to veer off course during a FEMA press conference Thursday afternoon after he finished making his remarks, prompting at least one official to try to grab his attention.
“Thank you,” Biden said as a reporter tried to ask him a question. “Thank you.”
Biden then walked over to a group of workers who started clapping for him.
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell moved laterally and tried to briefly reach out and grab him as he walked to the group of workers.
“Mr. President,” Criswell said in trying to get his attention.
WATCH:
NOW – “Mr. President…?”pic.twitter.com/5UhQTbLdxC
— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) September 29, 2022
The incident comes after Biden on Wednesday thanked a handful of bipartisan officials for putting together the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. During his acknowledgments, he asked, “Where’s Jackie?” confused as to why he did not see the woman he had just mentioned in his remarks.
Biden was referencing deceased Rep. Jackie Walorksi (R-IN), who passed away last month in an automobile accident.
“I want to thank all of you here, including bipartisan officials like Representative McGovern, Senator Braun, Senator Booker, Representative … Jackie, are you here? Where’s Jackie? … I think she must not be here,” Biden said while searching for Jackie.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was repeatedly grilled by numerous reporters during Wednesday’s press briefing over Biden looking for the deceased congresswoman and she repeatedly deflected answering reporters’ questions by claiming that Biden was looking for the congresswoman because she was “top of mind.”
Tim Meads contributed to this report.
