Remarks by President Biden After Air Force One Arrival

Delaware Air National Guard Base Wilmington, Delaware


 * Q On COVID, sir, do you have any theories about the origins of COVID ahead of the WHO report on the origins of COVID?
 * THE PRESIDENT: Do I have —


 * Q Any theories on the origins of the coronavirus —
 * THE PRESIDENT: No — no, I don’t.  I have theories, but I’m not a scientist.  I’m going to wait until the scientific community makes that judgment.


 * Q You spoke to the British Prime Minister. What was the conversation about?
 * THE PRESIDENT: Well, we talked a lot about climate change.  We talked a lot about the need also for Britain and the United States to — to stand together and deal with the whole notion of whether or not NATO stands together, whether we stand united, and whether or not I’d be able to come, and I hope I can, to the NATO meeting in — I think it’s in late June.  So we talked about scheduling and when I come over and how we’d work that out.


 * Q Any commitments on either side during the call?
 * THE PRESIDENT: Well, there was full agreement.  One of the things I suggested to do is — we talked about China and the competition they’re engaging in in the Belt and Road Initiative.  And I suggested we should have, essentially, a similar initiative coming from the democratic states, helping those communities around the world that, in fact, need help.


 * Q What does it mean to have Baby Beau on the plane with you, on Air Force One?
 * THE PRESIDENT: (Laughs.)  It’s really great.


 * Q President Biden, you issued strong words about the Georgia voting bill —
 * THE PRESIDENT: Not — not as strong as I was really thinking.


 * Q Is there anything the White House can do to protect voting rights in Georgia?
 * THE PRESIDENT: Well, we’re working on that right now.  We don’t know quite exactly what we can do at this point.  The Justice Department is taking a look as well.


 * Q Mr. President, how does the voting issue affect your thinking on the filibuster?
 * THE PRESIDENT: Well, look, we’ll see.  The question is whether or not — you know, you have to have 50 votes — 51 votes to have to win to be able to move the filibuster and any change in the filibuster.  And right now, that doesn’t exist.  That doesn’t exist.


 * Q (Inaudible) gun control?


 * Q Can we expect any gun control executive orders?
 * THE PRESIDENT: Pardon me?


 * Q Can we expect any gun control executive orders soon?
 * THE PRESIDENT: Well, we’re looking at that right now.  We’re looking at what kind of authority I have relative to imported weapons, as well as whether or not I have any authority to — these new weapons that are being made by 3D equipment that aren’t registered as guns at all, there may be some latitude there as well.


 * Q On the Suez Canal, sir: What offer has the DOD, has the Pentagon made to help Egypt? Can you say?  What all can the U.S. do to assist?
 * THE PRESIDENT: We have equipment and capacity that most countries don’t have, and we’re seeing what we can do — what help we can be.

Thank you.

END