CNN’s Phil Mattingly Confronts White House Spox on Washington Post Column Calling for Biden to Not Run in 2024

White House aide Ian Sams dismissed Washington Post columnist David Ignatius’s call for President Joe Biden to end his reelection bid, dismissing it as “malarkey.”

Sams appeared on CNN This Morning and was initially grilled by anchor Phil Mattingly about a memo sent by Sams to the “Editorial Leadership” of US news media organizations insisting that the press do a better job of covering “Demonstrably False Claims” put forth by the House GOP regarding a looming impeachment inquiry, which Sams dismissed as “malarkey.”

As the interview wrapped, Mattingly asked about Ignatius’s column calling on Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to step aside in the run for the 2024 election, given recent polling numbers they are facing.

Mattingly: You know, one thing, and this will be my last one. A lot of people in Washington right now, and I know this is probably going to drive your team crazy that I ask it this way, but I think it matters because it’s accurate because the columnist who wrote a piece today asking for the president not to seek reelection, David Ignatius, as well respected within the building behind you. What’s your response to that idea? It’s not just about the president but also about the vice president who you worked for in the 2020 campaign.

Sams: You know, I’m governed by the Hatch Act, and I want to be really careful. But obviously, the president has announced he’s running for reelection and the president is going to make his case to the American people. And I’ll refer you to the campaign for any sort of campaign questions. But this president has a lot to be proud of and a lot to run on. He’s delivered some of the most consequential achievements and economic progress in generations with the Inflation Reduction Act, the infrastructure bill, the CHIPS bill, which is opening new factories and creating new manufacturing jobs around the country. That’s what he’s going to be talking about versus these sort of political sideshows that congressional Republicans are starting to launch into right now.

Mattingly: Any expectation he’ll weigh in on this specifically any time soon?

Sams: Well, you know, the president can speak for himself. I will say I think he’s going to stay focused on what the American people want him to focus on, which is helping to improve them, their lives, their families, not these sort of political attacks on him and his family.

Watch above via CNN.

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