Over the four years President Joe Biden has spent in the Oval Office, Americans have gotten used to the original reason for his remarks and actions morphing over the hours and days after he says and does them–often with a revised White House transcript of a speech or a word salad of incoherence attempting to explain everything away from Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
In December, we learned that Biden would make one last foreign trip before leaving office to visit the Holy See in Rome and, as my colleague Nick Arama wrote, the announcement being unfurled wasn’t the last word on why the president was visiting Pope Francis in Italy.
Originally, the reason Biden’s staffers gave for the trip (which was scrapped later; I’m getting to that) was that Pres. Biden and the Pontiff would discuss world peace; then reports claimed Biden was going for more personal reasons: to seek solace and “relief.” As Nick asked, relief for what?
As Arama pointed out in the conclusion, the explanations just do not gel. Why does a man who claims he is a great guy/has nothing to be pardoned for need solace from the Pope?
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As recently as Wednesday morning, the trip was still on the schedule, with Biden and his wife set to leave immediately after late President Jimmy Carter’ funeral in D.C. for Rome. But as RedState’s Susie Moore shared in a follow-up, it was scrapped completely.
He was scheduled to leave for Rome, Italy, following Carter’s funeral but has now canceled that trip, purportedly due to the ongoing wildfires in L.A.
A Change-Up From the WH:
On Saturday, though, the White House put out a press release revealing the real reason at last–Biden bestowing on Pope Francis the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction, the only so designated honor by the president. Instead of handing it over in person, Biden and Pope Francis spoke on the phone.
The statement reads, in part:
Today, President Biden spoke with His Holiness Pope Francis and named him as a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the Nation’s highest civilian honor, presented to individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors. This is the only time that President Biden has awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction.
This follows Biden’s giving out the Presidential Medal of Freedom to 19 individuals earlier in January, which stirred up controversy over some of the “worst people on Earth” being honored, including former failed Democrat presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton, and progressive megadonor, George Soros. In the end, maybe it’s for the best that Biden’s visit with another world leader was canceled. The nation will have a new president in a little more than a week.
UPDATE: The White House has released a new statement on Biden’s phone call with the Pope, via pool reporting:
President Biden spoke by phone with His Holiness Pope Francis this morning and expressed his deep regret that he was unable to visit Rome and Vatican City.
…
They also discussed efforts to advance peace around the world, including Pope Francis’ work to alleviate suffering for vulnerable communities.
[Editor’s Note: This article was edited for clarity after publication.]
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