On Thursday, Fox News anchor Chris Wallace criticized President Joe Biden for sticking to talking points and referring to notes for guidance when he was asked foreign policy questions during his first press conference.
Wallace opined that it was unusual in his experience.
Wallace: ‘He Went To His Briefing Book Like Jen Psaki’
Anchor for Fox News’ “America Reports” Sandra Smith noted Biden had touched on potentially withdrawing troops from Afghanistan, the U.S.-Mexico border crisis, North Korea’s recent missile tests and other foreign policy issues.
Smith asked for Wallace’s review of the president’s performance and one part definitely stuck out to him.
“I have to say I was also struck by the fact that it seemed on every foreign policy question, not the others but on foreign policy, he went to his briefing book like Jen Psaki does sometimes in the briefings and was reading obviously White House the guidance White House talking points,” Wallace said.
“Biden’s first press conference leaves Americans with many more questions than answers”
My op-Ed ⬇️ https://t.co/uFaHjoEmZB
— Kayleigh McEnany (@kayleighmcenany) March 25, 2021
Wallace: ‘Covering Ronald Reagan For Six Years I Never Saw That’
“Covering Ronald Reagan for six years I never saw that,” the Fox News veteran noted. “Watching a lot of news conferences over the years I have never seen that, a president in a news conference reading talking points.”
“He did that on it seemed every foreign policy question,” Wallace observed.
Wallace said that in other areas, like the president claiming that Republicans want to tighten voter rolls and calling that “sick” and “unAmerican,” Biden appeared to perform better.
BIDEN on GOP state bills restricting voting rights across the country:
“What I’m worried about is how unAmerican this whole initiative is. It’s sick. It’s sick.”
— Pod Save America (@PodSaveAmerica) March 25, 2021
“Overall, I would say he was empathetic, he handled himself well, he was not fast, certainly,” Wallace said.
He added, “A lot of the answers were pretty slow in coming but he was well briefed and he understood and had control of his brief in terms of what he wanted to say and what he didn’t want to say.”
Biden’s most notable comments on foreign policy revolved around the 20-year war in Afghanistan.
The President was asked whether or not the U.S. would meet the May 1 deadline set by the Trump administration to leave the country, and whether or not Biden thought we would still be in Afghanistan at this time next year.
Biden stated that, “It’s going to be hard to meet the May 1 deadline just in terms of tactical reasons, it’s hard to get those troops out.” But he added that, “I can’t picture that being the case.”
“It is not my intention to stay there for a long time. But the question is how and under what circumstances do we meet that agreement that was made by President Trump to leave under a deal that looks like it’s not able to be worked out to begin with, how is that done?” Biden said. “But we are not staying a long time.
Biden was also asked about recent provocations by North Korea, specifically new missile tests. The President noted that his diplomatic efforts will be conditioned on the goal of denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.
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