President of the United States

09/30/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/30/2024 11:40

Remarks by President Biden Before Air Force One Departure | Dover, DE

Dover Air Force Base
Dover, Delaware

2:38 P.M. EDT

Q Mr. President, will you deploy more U.S. troops to the Middle East?

THE PRESIDENT: No.

Q Mr. President, has Netanyahu gone too far?

Q Any comment on the strikes in Yemen, Mr. President?

THE PRESIDENT: Spoke with both sides at the outset of the strike. We support the collective bargaining effort. I think they'll settle the strike.

Q Are you going to talk to Netanyahu? Are you going to talk to Prime Minister Netanyahu? Do you have any- - anything to say to him?

THE PRESIDENT: Yes. I will be talking to him, and I'll tell you what I say to him when I talk to him.

Q Yes, sir.

Q Do you have any words for the victims of the hurricane?

THE PRESIDENT: Yes, it's tragic. As a matter of fact, they're trying to get the exact number. My FEMA adviser is on the ground in Florida right now. There's a distinction between the numbers that FEMA has used and the ones used by - by the locals.

So, it's - it really is amazing. You saw the photographs. It's stunning.

Q So many -

THE PRESIDENT: But - but it really is.

Q So many - so - such a wide area.

THE PRESIDENT: And we - we gave - are giving them all the - all - everything we have. Were on the ground ahead of time. So, we're working hard.

Q Are there any more resources the federal government could be giving them?

THE PRESIDENT: No. We've given them - we have preplanned a significant amount of it, even though they didn't ask for it yet - had - hadn't asked for it yet.

Q Mr. President, will you intervene in the dockworkers strike if they go on strike on Tuesday?

THE PRESIDENT: No.

Q Why not?

THE PRESIDENT: Because there's collective bargaining, and I don't believe in Taft-Hartley.

Q Can all-out - can an all-out war in the Middle East be avoided?

THE PRESIDENT: It has to be. We - we really have to avoid it.

We've already taken precautions relative to our embassies and personnel who want to leave, and - but we're not there yet, but we're working like hell with the French and many others to (inaudible).

Thank you.

Q Thank you, sir.

2:41 P.M. EDT