Remarks by President Biden Before Boarding Air Force One

by Joseph Robinette Biden

John Glenn Columbus International Airport
Columbus, Ohio

6:34 P.M. EDT

Q Were you getting a briefing, Mr. President?

THE PRESIDENT: Yeah, I was.

Q Can you share what’s going on?

THE PRESIDENT: It was a foreign policy issue.

Q Mr. President, a couple of Asian American senators have threatened to veto your — your nominees if you don’t nominate diverse candidates. Have you spoken to them?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, I don’t know what you’re —

Q An Asian American in your Cabinet, sir, is what they’re asking for.

THE PRESIDENT: We — we have the most diverse Cabinet in history. We have a lot of Asian Americans who are in the Cabinet and sub-Cabinet levels. Our Cabinet is formed.

Q Mr. President, are you concerned that the administration’s statements that the border is closed but children will be cared for is a mixed message?

THE PRESIDENT: I’ll have more to say about that in the next couple of days. The key here relates to what’s happening in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. And the last administration dismantled all we had put in place, relative to dealing with the problems in country. And we’ll have something to say about that very shortly.

Q Is Ambassador Jacobson — is she trying to get some concessions from Guatemala and El Salvador?

THE PRESIDENT: I’ll more to say about that tomorrow and the next day.

Q Could you tell you us about North Korea and firing of the rockets — what you’ve learned?

THE PRESIDENT: We have learned that there is nothing much has changed.

Thank you.

6:36 P.M. EDT