Reporters Grumble, Laugh as Biden Scolds Them Not Explaining Supply Chain ‘Very Well’ After He Blames Covid
Press Secretary Jen Psaki previously blamed pandemic problems for supply chain issues, suggesting that the American public picked up bad habits that were hurting the economy. On Saturday, President Joe Biden put less blame on voters and more on the virus itself but spared some finger-pointing for the press for not explaining to readers what his administration faces with the supply chain.
“People are worried,” said the U.S. president about how problems with the supply chain are causing higher prices at check-out for the American public. Those worries were the subject of a much-maligned (by blue check Democrat and media Twitter) CNN report this week about the cost of milk going up.
Biden acknowledged that people are “understandably concerned. “Why is the price of agricultural products, when I go to the store, why is it higher?'” he said. He said that if you picked a random person at a restaurant and asked about the supply chain, “do you think they’d understand?”
“They’re smart people, but supply chain. Well, why is everything backed up? Well, it’s backed up because the people who supply the materials that end up being on our kitchen table or in our life, guess what? They’re closing those plants because they have covid,” said Biden, mentioning neither people who aren’t returning the workforce nor departures or firings over mask and vaccine mandates.
“So it’s a complicated world that people are facing,” Biden continued. “We’ve never faced anything like this before. I mean, I’m not saying this is the worst of every time in American history, but we never faced anything this, sort of, defiant of understanding and what’s going on.
He then checked his previous comment about a restaurant adding that it’s difficult if you have a Ph.D., too, because it’s “confusing” and that’s why “people are understandably worried.
He then argued that the press is partly to blame for that lack of understanding.
“So all I can say is what I’m going to try to do is explain to the American people, as best I can — and by the way, you all write for pay living. I haven’t seen anyone of you explain the supply chain very well,” Biden said to the reporters in the room. When there was some grumbling and even chuckling in the room, Biden said, “No, no, I’m not being critical! I’m being deadly earnest.”
“When your editor says, explain the supply chain, okay? Lots of luck in your senior years, my coach used to say, but I sincerely mean it,” he said rather cryptically as there was more laughing in the room.
“This is a confusing time, confusing time. Think of all those children, all those children who may have lost more than a year of education, by only being out one semester. Think of all that’s going on in terms of access to everything from when you go back to college, if you’re in college, where, are — do you have to wear your mask, who is your roommate? I mean this is a confusing moment,” said Biden confusingly.
Watch the clip above, via Fox News.
