President Joe Biden was back to weighing difficult tradeoffs in stalled ceasefire negotiations as he returned to the White House Monday following his two-week vacation.
The president reworked his travel plans for Labor Day to allow him to hold talks with his hostage negotiating team in the White House Situation Room, days after the horrific killings of six hostages in Gaza.
The new logistics had him flying directly to the White House via Marine One from near his Rehoboth Beach vacation house, on a day that mixed R&R, fraught policy choices, campaign politics.
Upon arrival, Biden was immediately asked by reporters about the strikes in Israel demanding a ceasefire agreement, and whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was doing enough to secure a deal.
‘No,’ was Biden’s stern reply.
Biden will be joined by Vice President Kamala Harris, in just the latest move by the White House to establish her as a governing partner.
Asked if he was planning to present a final hostage deal, Biden said ‘we’re very close to that.’ He declined to weigh in on the demonstrations in Israel, but indicated he will get briefed on it inside the White House.
Biden also made referenced to slain American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, after having spoken to his parents, who gave emotional testimony at the Democratic National Convention.
‘I’ve spoken to the American hostage – I’ve spoken to his mom and dad. And we’re not giving up. We’re going to continue to push as hard as we can,’ he said.
Officials have said Hersh Goldberg-Polin and two other hostages found dead in a tunnel under Gaza were on a list of people that Hamas would return under ceasefire deal been finalized.
Biden has been mostly out of sight since he flew to California following his speech to the DNC August 19th. He has spent the last week in Delaware, relaxing on the beach and reading newspapers , venturing out to go church, and commenting on the tragic killings of six hostages in Gaza.
On Monday, he received the President’s Daily Brief at home, then boarded Marine One to fly back to the White House (dodging holiday traffic on the roads). He has plans to meet with hostage negotiators in the Situation Room along with Vice President Harris. Then he flies to Pittsburgh, where he will join Harris at a campaign event.
There are indications the public will be seeing more of Biden even though he is no longer seeking reelection. He heads to battleground Wisconsin Thursday – his first trip there since dropping out of the race.