Joe Biden chuckled as he was asked by Fox News reporter Pete Doocy why he was pulling the United States “so far to the left.”
The president laughed off the question from Doocy during his two hour White House press conference, in which he touted his administration’s successes during his first year in office.
Mr Biden pointed to the more than 210 million Americans who are vaccinated against Covid-19, and the delivery of hundreds of million of shots from this point last year as a major success during a challenging 2021.
He also admitted that the White House should have increased the country’s testing capability, as at-home testing kits are being sent out to millions of Americans.
The president did not shy away from taking a question from Doocy, who has regularly clashed in the White House briefing room with press secretary Jen Psaki.
“Why are you trying so hard in your first year to pull the country so far to the left?” Doocy asked when called upon.
Mr Biden could be heard chuckling as he listened to the question.
“Well, I’m not. I don’t know what you consider to be too far to the left, if in fact we are talking about making sure we have the money for Covid, making sure we had the money to put together the bipartisan infrastructure, making sure we were able to provide for those things, that in fact we significantly reduced the burden on working class people, I don’t know how that is pulling to the left,” replied Mr Biden.
“You guys are trying to convince me that I am Bernie Sanders, I’m not, I like him but I’m not Bernie Sanders, I’m not a socialist, I’m a mainstream Democrat.”
Mr Biden added that 48 of the 50 Democrats in the US Senate had supported him on “virtually everything I’ve asked.”
The president also shrugged off a question from James Rosen of right-wing network Newsmax, who asked him about his mental fitness.
