White House insists Biden can juggle Israel and classified documents interview

The White House bristled at suggestions it asked that President Joe Biden‘s interview with special counsel Robert Hur, who is investigating the allegations over Biden mishandling classified documents, be rescheduled amid Hamas‘s deadly terrorist attacks and Israel‘s retaliatory strikes.

“We disclosed the interview,” press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Tuesday. “He’s been very much focused on the issues of the horrific events that we have seen in Israel. The president is able to do multiple things at once, right? As president, he has to do multiple things at once, and that’s what you saw him do this weekend.”

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Jean-Pierre also defended the White House’s decision for Biden not to address the nation regarding Israel on Monday, a federal holiday in which aides called a “lid,” meaning the president would no longer be making public appearances, before noon.

“He spoke on Saturday,” the press secretary said. “He spoke today, obviously. There were multiple statements from this president. I just mentioned he met with his national security team dozens of times. He did multiple calls with heads of state to try to make sure that we got the support, continued that support, organized support of other allies and partners across the world. And we put out a statement as well, a joint statement from those allies and partners.”

“The president was very much engaged in showing his leadership and how we’re going to continue to support Israel, and that’s how we’re going to move forward,” she said.

Jean-Pierre declined to provide any details concerning whether Biden had answered all of Hur’s questions or whether he had invoked executive privilege. Instead, she referred reporters to the White House Counsel’s Office and the Justice Department.

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Hur interviewed Biden last Sunday and Monday at the White House, according to White House Counsel’s Office spokesman Ian Sams.

“As we have said from the beginning, the president and the White House are cooperating with this investigation, and as it has been appropriate, we have provided relevant updates publicly, being as transparent as we can consistent with protecting and preserving the integrity of the investigation,” Sams said. “We would refer other questions to the Justice Department at this time.”