President Joe Biden couldn’t help but surprise guests at a White House meeting hosted by first lady Dr Jill Biden on Wednesday.
Mr Biden popped in near the end of the meeting as US Labor Secretary Marty Walsh, seated next to Dr Biden, was addressing attendees.
Interrupting Mr Walsh, Mr Biden indicated to his wife and quipped: “Whatever she’s saying, I agree with”.
The remarks elicited a laugh from those present, and came as Mr Walsh was expressing this thanks for the “partnership” of everyone in the room. National experts had gathered to address the nation’s teacher shortage.
Dr Biden then motioned at the now-closed door where her husband had been a moment ago and remarked: “Speaking of partners.”
As the room once again dissolved into laughter, Mr Walsh declared, “That’s a wrap.”
The light-hearted moment for Mr Biden comes at a rare moment of respite for the president following months of negative headlines about his popularity and his party’s chances in the midterm elections.
The president has seen his poll numbers rebound somewhat in recent days, while his party’s prospects for holding both their majorities in the House and Senate have similarly improved (though the House still remains favourable ground for the GOP). Part of this is due to recent legislative wins for the president, including the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act which provided significant investments in efforts to cut US emissions, the first major bill addressing climate change to pass into law in the US.
He also had the chance to enjoy the political schadenfreude derived from the FBI’s execution of a search warrant at Mar-a-Lago, home to former president Donald Trump, and the confirmation that Trump and his closet allies are under investigation for the mishandling and unlawful retention of classified government documents, including top secret files.
The latter development left Mr Biden’s political enemies scrambling to defend their de facto leader while Mr Biden and his team have seemingly moved on to other priorities for their base in the few weeks remaining before elections begin. Those priorities have included addressing student loan debt and cancelling up to $20,000 worth of loans for many Americans.
