Joe Biden stood up to a reporter who quizzed him over his support for abortion rights despite being Catholic.
Mr Biden was taking questions from reporters on the south lawn of the White House on Wednesday before boarding the presidential helicopter to Wisconsin, where he will deliver remarks on the bipartisan infrastructure law.
He was asked why he continued to support “abortion as a Catholic, defying church teachings”. The reporter was referring to his State of the Union address on 1 March, when he called for protecting women’s rights and acknowledged the attacks on abortion care.
Mr Biden said: “Well, I tell you what, I don’t want to get in a debate with you on theology. But, you know – well, anyway.”
“I’m not – I’m not going to make a – I’m not going to make a judgement for other people,” he added after the reporter again interrupted to say “but you’re Catholic”.
He then walked away to his helicopter with first lady Jill Biden on his side.
The US president’s forehead was marked with ashes for the Catholic holiday Ash Wednesday. He is only the second Catholic president in the history of the US and regularly goes to church.
He was questioned about his Catholicism and his pro-choice stance after his support to the landmark 1973 Roe v Wade decision, which legalised abortion nationwide.
The landmark ruling enshrining abortion rights in the US is back in the spotlight as the US Supreme Court reviews a Mississippi law banning most abortions after 15 weeks, potentially igniting a major challenge.
The 1973 ruling is considered the first successful litmus test protecting a pregnant woman’s right to have an abortion in the US, legalising the procedure across the country and setting a global precedent. The ruling repealed many federal and state abortion laws that restricted access for women or banned the procedure outright and sparked decades of religious and moral conflict, fought over women’s bodies.
Mr Biden’s stance has become a matter of debate among bishops, but the president, who has said his faith is a deeply personal aspect of his life, has described his stand on the topic as “middle of the road”.
During his first State of the Union speech, he said: “The constitutional right affirmed by Roe v Wade – standing precedent for half a century– is under attack as never before.”
“If you want to go forward – not backwards – we must protect access to health care. Preserve a woman’s right to choose and continue to advance maternal health care for all Americans,” he added.
