Biden ignores press questions after White House cocaine discovery

President Joe Biden ignored shouted questions from reporters on Tuesday – as the Secret Service investigated who left cocaine at the White House in a major security breach.

He was speaking alongside First Lady Jill Bide to educators attending the National Education Association Representative Assembly.

As the conference unfolds in Orlando, the Bidens attended virtually from the White House complex’s South Court auditorium, with the president telling attendees, ‘By the way, arming teachers is not the answer’ .

Gun violence was on the brain as the president issued a statement earlier on Tuesday condemning the wave of shootings that rocked US cities ahead of the July 4 holiday.

The president has yet to address the headline coming out of the White House – that a preliminary test determined a bag of white powder discovered in a West Wing office Sunday night was cocaine.

After the president’s remarks in front of the virtual NEA crowd, he headed for the exit with Dr. Biden, ignoring the shouts of reporters.

The president was pressed on whether he was working out a deal with the Russians for the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.

The Kremlin has expressed an openness for another prisoner exchange.

Reporters then yelled at each other as Biden walked out.

The White House issued a lengthy statement on gun violence over the weekend.

“Over the past few days, our nation has once again suffered a wave of tragic and senseless shootings in communities across America – from Philadelphia to Fort Worth, from Baltimore to Lansing, from Wichita to Chicago,” the statement read. Biden. “Today, Jill and I mourn those who lost their lives and as our nation celebrates Independence Day, we pray for the day when our communities are free from gun violence.”

Biden also noted that July 4 is the one-year anniversary of the Highland Park, Illinois shootings — in which an AR-15 was used.

“In the year since, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering, legislative leaders and many advocates, and survivors of gun violence have fought tirelessly to turn the pain of Highland Park and other acts of gun violence into meaningful action on behalf of all Illinoisans,” Biden said.

President Joe Biden (left), followed by Dr Jill Biden (right), ignores shouted questions from reporters as he leaves the South Court auditorium on Tuesday after delivering remarks to educators ahead of the 4 July at the White House

“Last January, they succeeded in banning assault weapons – like the one used in Highland Park – as well as high-capacity magazines throughout Illinois,” the president continued. “Their achievement will save lives. But that won’t erase their grief.

Biden said the recent spate of shootings proves that more gun control laws need to be implemented.

“It is within our power to re-ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, to demand safe storage of firearms, to end immunity from liability for gun manufacturers and enact universal background checks,” the president encouraged.

“I urge other states to follow Illinois’ lead and continue to call on Republican lawmakers in Congress to come to the table for the meaningful, common-sense reforms that the American people support,” he said. he adds.