Joe Biden and his team at the White house have sent a dark signal on how important they believe is the attempted assassination of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh early this morning.
Biden once again turns his back, file screen image.
Biden has not issued a formal statement, nor have any comments condemning the attempted assassination been posted to the White House or POTUS Twitter accounts as of this writing. Instead Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates emailed a statement to reporters at Fox News and the Daily Wire while at the same time Bates spent time online denying that the Biden administration encouraged the recent protests at conservative justices’ homes following the leak of a draft decision overturning Roe v. Wade.
Incredibly Biden spoke to reporters for a minute Wednesday at Joint Base Andrews after the news broke and said nothing about the attempt on Kavanaugh’s life.
12:02 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: I’ve got a brief statement I’m going to make if I can. I think the voters sent a clear message last night: Both parties have to step up and do something about crime, as well as gun violence.
And I sent, as you recall — with the first major bill we passed, we gave the states and localities billions of dollars — billions of dollars they have — and I encouraged them to use it to hire police officers and reform their police departments. Very few have done it.
In addition to that, I sent to Congress a request for $300 million in this year’s budget to deal with hiring cops, to retrain cops, as well as to make sure they are adequately dispersed around the communities.
It’s time they move. It’s time to states and the localities spend the money they have to deal with crime, as well as retrain police officers, as well as provide for more community policing.
It’s time to get on with doing that. And that’s what I think the message last night from the American public was in all the primaries.
Thank you.
12:03 P.M. EDT
A search of the White House Briefing Room page where Biden’s official statements are posted shows nothin on the attempt on Kavanaugh’s life as of 1 p.m. EDT–three hours after new broke of the incident. Nothing was posted to the White House or POTUS Twitter accounts.
The only tweet on the POTUS account so far Wednesday is a political attack on Republicans in Congress that was posted at 12:43 p.m., “Congressional Republicans want to raise taxes on working families by $1,500 and put Medicare, Social Security, and Medicaid on the chopping block. I disagree. And I’ll work with anyone to deliver real savings to the American people — not take money out of your pocket.”
Same for the Joe Biden account, at 12:24 p.m., the only tweet of the day at that account, “While my economic agenda has put us in a better fiscal position—strengthening Social Security and Medicare—congressional Republicans have put forward a different approach. Led by NRSC Chair Rick Scott, their plan would put these programs on the chopping block every five years.”
Bates sent a statement to the Daily Wire:
“President Biden condemns the actions of this individual in the strongest terms, and is grateful to law enforcement for quickly taking him into custody,” White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates told The Daily Wire on Wednesday morning.
“As the President has consistently made clear, public officials—including judges—must be able to do their jobs without concern for their personal safety or that of their families,” he added. “And any violence, threats of violence, or attempts to intimidate justices have no place in our society. He has said that himself, and his spokespeople have been forceful about this from the podium.”
…Bates noted that Attorney General Merrick Garland has condemned threats to the justices, saying, “The rise of violence and unlawful threats of violence directed at those who serve the public is unacceptable and dangerous to our democracy.”
Biden supports legislation that would fund increased security for the court and the judges, Bates said on Wednesday, noting that “the Department of Justice has U.S. Marshals providing support to the Supreme Court Marshal.”
He also flagged the Department of Homeland Security’s promise that it is “working with [their] partners across every level of government and the private sector to share timely information and intelligence, prevent all forms of violence, and to support law enforcement efforts to keep our communities safe.”
Bates sent the same statement to Fox News:
White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates told Fox News Wednesday that “President Biden condemns the actions of this individual in the strongest terms, and is grateful to law enforcement for quickly taking him into custody.”
“As the President has consistently made clear, public officials—including judges—must be able to do their jobs without concern for their personal safety or that of their families,” Bates said. “And any violence, threats of violence, or attempts to intimidate justices have no place in our society.”
Bates stressed that the president has “said that himself, and his spokespeople have been forceful about this from the podium.”
Bates also referred to Attorney General Merrick Garland’s past comments, saying he has “blasted any threats to the justices.”
Garland has said that “the rise of violence and unlawful threats of violence directed at those who serve the public is unacceptable and dangerous to our democracy.”
Bates added that the Justice Department also has U.S. Marshals “providing support to the Supreme Court Marshal.”
“The President supports legislation to fund increased security for the Court and Judges,” Bates said.
Bates added that, with regard to threats to justices, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has also said they are “working with [their] partners across every level of government and the private sector to share timely information and intelligence, prevent all forms of violence, and to support law enforcement efforts to keep our communities safe.”
Bates denied what people could see and hear about former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki encouraging the protests at justices’ homes.
Bates called Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA), himself a survivor of a liberal assassination attempt, a liar, “This is a lie. The White House never encouraged that.”
Bates argued punctuation with a reporter to deny what Psaki said, “Did you seriously think we wouldn’t have the full transcript? Thank you for the opportunity. She encouraged protesters to remain peaceful; not to go to justices’ homes.”
“With incorrect punctuation to twist her meaning.”