After a series of crises, President Joe Biden hopes to turn the page and focus his presidency on his core economic agenda this fall.
The recent series of problems is a stark reminder of the unpredictability of the office, and a fresh example of how presidents seldom have the luxury to focus on one crisis at a given time. Biden’s unyielding summer knocked his White House onto emergency footing and sent his own poll numbers tumbling.
Michael Beschloss, a presidential historian, said that “the presidency is not for a monomaniac.” “You must be able to multitask 24 hours per day.”
Summer 2021 was the best example of this. It began with the White House declaring the nation’s independence from the coronavirus, and then defying the odds bipartisanship on a huge infrastructure package. COVID-19 roared back, and the Afghanistan pullout became chaotic. Hiring slowed.
Biden now seeks a post-Labor Day reframe of the national conversation towards his domestic goals of passing a bipartisan bill for infrastructure and pushing through a Democrats only expansion of the social security ne t.
Officials at the White House are keen to shift Biden’s public calendar to issues that are of importance to him and that they feel are most important for the American people.
Jen Psaki, White House press secretary, stated that “I believe you can expect President Obama to communicate over the coming weeks about a range of topics that are front-and center on the minds the American people.”
“You can expect to hear more from him on his Build Back better agenda, COVID, and his commitment towards getting the virus under control.
The White House played a central role in explaining the effects of Biden’s withdrawal and how to evacuate Americans and their allies from Afghanistan during the chaos evacuation. Officials now want to place the State Department and other agencies at the forefront of efforts to help stranded Americans, and support evacuees while Biden continues to discuss other topics.
