President Joe Biden is not happy about his staffers repeatedly stepping in to clarify his statements, according to a report, and feels it necessary to remind them he is the president.
NBC News reports Biden hates the “clean-up campaign” telling his advisers it “undermines him and smothers the authenticity that fueled his rise.”
The report cites the clean-up from staffers who rushed to reassure reporters the policy with Russia had not changed after he said in Poland that Russian President Vladimir Putin “cannot remain in power.”
“Biden was furious that his remarks were being seen as unreliable, arguing that he speaks genuinely and reminding his staff that he’s the one who is president,” the report noted.
White House staffers repeatedly work behind the scenes to clarify Biden’s comments.
During his trip to Asia last week, White House aides scrambled to clean up his comments about the United States defending Taiwan — a subject they had to address repeatedly from the White House.
During his trip to Poland in March, White House aides were forced to clarify Biden’s remarks on three different occasions suggesting U.S. troops would go into Ukraine, that the U.S. was willing to use chemical weapons, and most notably, appeared to call for regime change in Russia.
Biden denied his gaffes, saying only his comments were misinterpreted by the media while denying his staff control his every move and utterance.
The report also reveals Biden complains he is not getting credit for his successes on low unemployment and Democrats are not defending him on cable news, as his approval ratings are at historic lows.
“He’s now lower than Trump, and he’s really twisted about it,” a person “close to the White House,” told NBC News.
Biden is also upset his staff did not inform him of the baby formula shortage, which has only added to the notion he is not in control of his own administration.
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