Traveling with Biden on a two-day presidential whirlwind

Last week, I hit the jackpot of White House press pool assignments: Fly with President Joe Biden on Air Force One to the Pacific Northwest on a two-day swing aimed at highlighting infrastructure projects and efforts to combat climate change. Oh, and while in the neighborhood, he’ll be raising money for the Democratic National Committee. 

It was the Monitor’s turn in the rotation of news outlets that travel with the president, and I welcomed the opportunity to spend two solid days watching President Biden up close. Like many reporters, I’ve been mindful of his gaffes and miscues, in which he sometimes seems to misunderstand or mishear a question, offering a response that doesn’t correlate. 

As an aside, let me point out that Mr. Biden – a high-profile Washington politician since the early 1970s – has always been known for his gaffes, and has also had a stutter since childhood. He’s never been a smooth public speaker. 

Now, as the oldest American president in history, he faces constant scrutiny over whether he’s up to the task. Negative and sometimes misleading characterizations abound on social media – a recent one, claiming that a “confused” Mr. Biden “turned around and shook hands with thin air,” was deemed by PolitiFact to be false. “Biden was gesturing towards his audience,” the fact-checking site concluded. 

Yes, he does speak more softly than he used to, and his gait is more halting. And his staff often seems to be shielding him from reporters’ questions. But his two-hour press conference in January was a presidential record – and a clear display of stamina that was apparent on this trip as well. 

The days were packed, starting with his pre-trip announcement of more aid for Ukraine and a few press questions (including one about border policy that required a follow-up clarification). Soon we were aboard Air Force One, heading to Oregon for a tour of an infrastructure project at Portland International Airport, followed by public remarks, with more than 100 local elected officials, union members, and stakeholders in attendance.

The DNC fundraiser at the Portland Yacht Club showed Mr. Biden in his element – stepping away from the mic to schmooze with donors, talking about his grandchildren, highlighting his agenda, bemoaning the state of American politics. It’s no secret that the president and his party are in big trouble heading into the November midterm elections, and he threw plenty of shade at the GOP. 

“This is not your father’s Republican Party, by any stretch of the imagination. This is the MAGA party,” Mr. Biden said, referring to former President Donald Trump’s slogan, “Make America Great Again.” 

Then it was back on the plane for our next stop, Seattle, and another fundraiser – this one in the multimillion-dollar home of a Microsoft executive overlooking Lake Washington. By the time Mr. Biden started speaking, it was already 9:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, but he was raring to go. He spoke for a half-hour, albeit at times quite softly, before we “pencils” – no media cameras allowed – were escorted out so he could answer questions from donors privately. 

We got our “lid” for the day – meaning, no more public presidential activity – after 11 p.m. Eastern time. 

The next morning began with an Earth Day event in Seattle’s Seward Park, where Mr. Biden made remarks and signed an executive order focused on old-growth forests. Then it was off to a community college in Auburn, Washington, to discuss how government can help families lower costs.

By the time we boarded Air Force One for the nearly five-hour flight back east, we were all ready for some downtime. Then it happened: For the first time since becoming president, Mr. Biden came to the back of the plane where the press pool sits, and “gaggled” with us for 24 minutes, off the record. 

He seemed to enjoy the give-and-take, and might have stayed longer had it not been for an announcement that the plane was heading into turbulence. Everyone had to go back to their seats and buckle up. But we got what we wanted: face time with the president. For us hacks, it doesn’t get any better than that.