Handsy Biden brushes bug off interviewer’s chest
President Biden was bugging out during a rare interview that early Wednesday.
The handsy 80-year-old commander-in-chief reached out and brushed an insect off meteorologist Stephanie Abrams’ chest in an awkward moment during his chat with The Weather Channel.
Biden — who has long been accused of being overly touchy — was dodging a question about why he has not declared a climate crisis a national emergency when he spotted the errant insect crawling on Abrams’ suit jacket.
“Oh, you’ve got a bug on you,” he muttered, quickly reaching out and flicking the critter off Abrams’ upper chest.
“Thanks, appreciate it,” the interviewer said, before rapidly stirring the conversation back to climate.
Biden has previously vowed to “be more mindful” of personal space after being accused by several women of inappropriate hugs, rubs and caresses.
He blamed changing “social norms” for his behavior now being frowned upon. “I get it. I hear what they’re saying, I understand it and I’ll be much more mindful,” he said in 2019.
Just before the unexpected entomological interruption, Abrams grilled Biden on whether he was prepared to declare a national emergency on climate change — a move that would unlock temporary executive powers to ramp up renewable energy production, free up federal funds for disaster relief and curb oil drilling and US investment in fossil fuels.
“Already done that,” Biden shot back. “Nationally, we’ve conserved more land, we’ve moved in to rejoin the Paris Climate Accord. We’ve passed the $360 billion climate control facility. We’re moving. It is the existential threat.”
Abrams further pressed the 46th president on the issue, asking him: “So you’ve already declared that a national emergency?”
“Well, practically speaking. Yes,” Biden replied.
Back in the studio, a host of The Weather Channel’s America’s Morning Headquarters fact-checked the president live on air, noting that “despite requests from some Democratic leaders, the President has not yet declared a national climate emergency.”
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