Following his latest address on the Russia-Ukraine crisis, President Joe Biden chose yet again on Tuesday afternoon to turn his back and walk away after a major White House speech without taking questions from reporters. But instead of decrying the move, ABC’s David Muir offered a defense of Biden ducking the free press: Things are just too serious to be talking to reporters!
Biden ended his nine-minute address by saying he’d “have more to say about this as it moves on” and that he’s “hoping diplomacy is still available” with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Once he said, “thank you very much” to those listening, he closed his notebook and marched away from the podium with his back turned to the cameras as reporters shouted questions.
Muir was ready to respond and remarked on him not giving reporters more information. Needless to say, he didn’t admit it was because Biden’s gaffe-prone and would make things worse. Instead, he said this:
President Biden there in the East Room not taking any questions, likely given the gravity of the moment the world is now facing. He did talk about Vladimir Putin and his announcement just 24 hours ago that he now recognizes two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine as independent countries and the President saying moments ago Putin bizarrely said these regions do not belong to Ukraine. He said he’s setting up the rationale to take more territory and the beginning of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Prior to Biden coming out, Muir briefly described Biden’s entrance: “President Biden in the East Room taking off the mask there and set to address the American people.”
On NBC, Nightly News anchor Lester Holt didn’t go Muir’s route after Biden turned his back on accountability other than to say he “[took] no questions as he lists the latest reaction and punitive measures aimed toward Russia[.]”
Holt added Biden had some “big headlines” with “more U.S. forces pouring into the Baltic areas in a defensive posture and also the announcement of new financial sanctions.”
CBS Evening News anchor Norah O’Donnell was more positive toward Biden and the White House’s spin. In her open, she boasted of the administration “taking a significant move, accusing Russian President Vladimir Putin of invading the sovereign country of Ukraine” and said Biden was “expect[ed] him to announce harsh, new, economic sanctions” since he’s “promised swift and severe punishment[.]”
After Biden bolted, O’Donnell repeated back part of Biden’s thesis:
The President of the United States saying this is the beginning of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, so I am going to begin to impose sanctions in response, and the President not ruling out further action in defense of NATO.
A few minutes later, O’Donnell fretted about this crisis and failure to use diplomacy or a summit to diffuse it coinciding with other Biden priorities like his upcoming Supreme Court pick and the State of the Union address.
Closing the Special Report, O’Donnell and White House correspondent Nancy Cordes touted Biden being “in constant contact with his European allies as they work to announce these sanctions in lockstep” and “send a powerful message” that “the west is united.”
To see the relevant ABC transcript from February 22, click “expand.”
ABC News Special Report
February 22, 2022
2:20 p.m. EasternDAVID MUIR: Good afternoon we're coming on the air because President Biden is about to address the nation on these fast-moving developments involving Russia and Vladimir Putin's moves involving Ukraine with the Biden administration now saying the Russian invasion of Ukraine is underway.
(....)
2:22 p.m. Eastern
MUIR: And all of this not only expected to affect the Russian economy but the global economy, particularly energy prices and, of course, the price of oil and gas here at home. We've already seen the Dow reacting to news of the last 24 hours. President Biden in the East Room taking off the mask there and set to address the American people.
(....)
2:31 p.m. Eastern
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: We’ll probably have more to say about this as it moves on. I'm hoping diplomacy is still available. Thank you all very much.
MUIR: President Biden there in the East Room not taking any questions, likely given the gravity of the moment the world is now facing. He did talk about Vladimir Putin and his announcement just 24 hours ago that he now recognizes two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine as independent countries and the President saying moments ago Putin bizarrely said these regions do not belong to Ukraine. He said he’s setting up the rationale to take more territory and the beginning of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.
