President Biden has been pressured as to why he will not attend Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s funeral during an awkward exchange with a reporter Wednesday before his trip to Kentucky.
“But you’re not going to his funeral tomorrow, why?” EWTN’s Owen Jensen asked the President.
“Well, why do you think?” Biden replied.
“Well, tell me,” Jensen said.
President Joe Biden pushed why he won’t attend Pope Benedict’s funeral. (Fox News)
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Biden insisted, “You know why,” as the reporter repeated, “You can tell me.”
“The reason I’m not attending the funeral tomorrow is because it would take an entourage of a thousand people to show up,” Biden said. “We would steer everything in the wrong direction.”
The President also said “we would only get in the way”, adding that Pope Benedict XVI. be a “fine man”.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday that US Ambassador to the Holy See Joe Donnelly will represent the United States at the funeral.
Pope Benedict XVI waves from a balcony at the White House after being welcomed to the United States by President George W. Bush April 16, 2008. (Portal/Larry Downing/File)
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“US Ambassador to the Holy See Joe Donnelly will represent the United States at the Pope’s funeral, in accordance with the wishes of the late Pope and the Vatican. This is what – these were their demands. That’s what her wishes were. And that’s what you see from the US,” she told reporters on Tuesday.
Pope Francis will preside over the funeral of Pope Benedict XVI. which will take place on Thursday in St. Peter’s Square.
“The reason I’m not attending the funeral tomorrow is that it would take an entourage of a thousand people to show up,” President Biden told a reporter. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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Biden will appear in Kentucky on Wednesday with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to promote the $1.2 trillion infrastructure investment and jobs bill.
Hanna Panreck is Associate Editor at Fox News.