President Joe Biden made an embarrassing admission to a group of Gen Z influencers at the White House on Wednesday.
Biden dramatically dropped out of the presidential race on July 21 after coming under pressure from top Democrats.
“And that’s why I invited you to the White House,” Biden told the influencers. “Because I’m looking for a job.”
He suggested that becoming a social media influencer could be in the 81-year-old’s future.
“And there are more people who want to get into your business than any other these days,” Biden said.
President Joe Biden hosted about 100 social media influencers at the White House on Wednesday
“You think when I retire, where do you think I’m going to go?” the president continued. “I have contacts, man. You all think I’m joking.”
Biden made a number of jokes about retirement and old age throughout his appearance.
“Now I know I only look 40,” she said at one point, adding, “You can smile.”
He noted that he has been in politics for “800 years.”
“I wanted to tell you something else and now I can’t remember what it was,” the 81-year-old added.
During the same event, Biden silenced members of the White House press corps who were stationed in the back of the room.
“Now, is that real or fake press back there?” he asked the influencers, acknowledging the press.
President Joe Biden takes a selfie with the roughly 100 TikTokkers invited to the White House for the first-ever ‘Creator Economy Conference’
“Fake news” is a phrase commonly used by Biden’s now-former rival, former President Donald Trump.
Biden went on to tell White House reporters that they should cover the economy more positively.
“We’re going to have a soft landing,” he said when asked if the United States had defeated inflation. “My policies are working. Start writing that way, OK?”
Later at the White House press conference, Jared Bernstein, chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, was asked what the president meant by that statement.
“Well, what do you think he meant by ‘start writing that way’?” Bernstein asked. “That’s the first time I’ve heard him say that. I can only interpret it as meaning that he thinks that’s not being done.”
Also at the influencer event, Biden talked about how his grandchildren got their news through social media rather than traditional sources.
“With all due respect, they don’t read the same newspapers or watch the same television as I do,” the president said. “They listen to all of you. They listen to all of you,” he told the social media stars.
“The fact is, you are the future. You are the future,” he continued.
“And there are more people who want to get into his business than any other these days,” Biden added.
She praised social media influencers for breaking through “in ways that I think are going to change the whole dynamic of how we communicate.”
The president praised social media influencers for innovating “in ways that I think are going to change the entire dynamic of how we communicate.” The president vacillated between being critical and then more friendly to the press.
“The national press is a good bunch. They don’t like me very much, but I like them,” he said at one point.
But then, when he got to the Q&A portion of the event, he told “non-press members” (the influencers in the room) that he would only take questions from them.
That didn’t stop White House reporters from trying.
A reporter shouted a question at Biden about the Venezuelan elections.
“I’m not talking to you,” Biden responded.
When he tried again, Biden let out a “shush.”
“Yes, I’m not going to answer your question. I’ll talk to them first, OK? I’ll talk to the audience first, OK?” the president said, before telling reporters they should write more positive articles about inflation.
