Biden Doesn’t Rule Out Retaliatory Attack on Russian-Based Pipeline Hackers, Won’t Comment on Ransom Payment

President Joe Biden took questions from assembled media after addressing the nation about the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack earlier this week that has left many Southern states struggling with significant gas shortages.

In his initial remarks, Biden revealed that he did not believe that the Russian Government was a part of the attack, though evidence shows that the hacker group was operating from Russian territory. He was pressed on this by an unidentified reporter who asked if he was confident that Russian President Vladimir Putin was not behind the attacks.

“I am confident that I’ve read the report of the FBI accurately,” Biden replied. “And they say they were not, he was not, the government was not.”

“Will you consider cyberattacks to shut down these criminals,” he was then asked, “Are you ruling that out?”

President Biden then paused to very carefully answer, to which he said “no.”

The moment was more confusing than it needed to be due to the unidentified reporter asking two opposite questions in the same breath. Is he considering the attacks or is he ruling them OUT? Of course, the idea that the Commander in Chief would announce security plans in such a setting is a silly question to ask, but kudos for trying!

As the press event ended, he was then asked if the ransom was paid to get the pipeline back online, based on numerous reports that had occurred. Biden refused to comment, echoing his Press Secretary Jen Psaki’s reply from Wednesday afternoon, and raising national eyebrows along the way.

Watch above via CNN.