Remarks by President Biden After Visiting With Local Firefighters

Nantucket Fire Department

Nantucket, Massachusetts

10:11 A.M. EST

Q    Can you comment on the Walmart shooting, Mr. President?

THE PRESIDENT:  I’m sick and tired of these shootings.  We should have much stricter gun laws.

Q    We can’t hear you.

Q    We can’t hear you.

(The President moves closer to the press.)

Q    Happy Thanksgiving.

Q    Happy Thanksgiving, Mr. President.

THE PRESIDENT:  Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Look, the idea that we’re not enforcing red-flag laws, period, just based on knowledge, not on parents saying or a loved one saying you should arrest this person now for his own sake, is ridiculous.  

We got one of the first red-flag laws in the state of Delaware, and my son Beau was the one enforcing it.  And it made a lot of difference.  It saves lives.  So that’s number one. 

Number two, the idea — the idea we still allow semiautomatic weapons to be purchased is sick.  It’s just sick.  It has no, no social redeeming value.  Zero.  None.  Not a single, solitary rationale for it except profit for the gun manufacturers.

Q    Can you do anything about gun laws during the lame duck, sir?

THE PRESIDENT:  I’m going to try. 

Q    What will you try and do?

THE PRESIDENT:  I’m going to try to get rid of assault weapons.

Q    During the lame duck?

THE PRESIDENT:  I’m going to do it whenever I — I got to make that assessment as I get in and start counting the votes.

Q    Can you give your assessment on whether Ukraine aid will need to be topped up in the lame duck?

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, yes.  Matter of fact, I just had another drawdown.  I signed another drawdown of over $300 million.  And there’s no time — this is no time to walk away from Ukraine.  Not at all. 

Now, we had a lot of talk in this last election about whether the other team is going to continue to support Ukraine, and I still believe there’s enough support there that we can continue — 

Q    Are you involved in the railroad negotiations?  Can you talk about what the holdup is, Mr. President?

THE PRESIDENT:  I can’t because it’s in the middle of negotiations still.  But my —

Q    Have you been in touch with the parties?

Q    Are you involved?

THE PRESIDENT:  My team has been in touch with all the parties, in rooms with the parties.  And I have — I have not directly engaged yet because we go — they’re still talking.

Q    The oil price cap, sir — will that come together?

Q    When will you get your annual physical, Mr. President?

THE PRESIDENT:  What, do you think I need it?  (Laughter.)

Q    You just had a birthday.

THE PRESIDENT:  (Laughs.)  I’ve gotten my — I will get — part of my physical is already done, and I’ll be getting it before the end of the year.

Q    Have you talked to Secretary Yellen about the oil price cap talk, sir?

THE PRESIDENT:  Yes.  And it’s in play.

Thank you.

10:14 A.M. EST

The post Remarks by President<span class="dewidow"> </span>Biden After Visiting With Local<span class="dewidow"> </span>Firefighters appeared first on The White House.