President Joe Biden on Thursday held his first official press conference since taking office in January.
Biden faced tough questions on his administration's response to a rise in unaccompanied minors arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border. The president said his administration is working to safely house children, calling the conditions they face in overcrowded facilities "unacceptable."
Biden said he would grant media access to the facilities, but declined to give an exact date. He dismissed questions about whether his policies were encouraging families to send their children on the perilous journey.
Biden said the increase in migration is rooted in difficult conditions in Central America, and blamed the overcrowding at U.S. facilities on former President Donald Trump.
The president also suggested he would support ending the Senate filibuster if Republicans completely block his legislative agenda. Democrats are currently trying to pass sweeping legislation to expand voting access. Biden condemned Republican efforts to restrict access as "un-American."
On foreign policy, the president said the U.S. likely wouldn't meet a May deadline to withdraw from Afghanistan. However, Biden said he didn't see troops remaining there for another year.
The president also indicated that he intends to run for re-election in 2024. He would be 81.
You can watch the press conference below.
Here's what you need to know:
- Biden says conditions children face at border are unacceptable, blames Trump
- Biden condemns voting restrictions as "un-American," might consider ending filibuster
- Biden says U.S. will leave Afghanistan, but question is when
- U.S. prepared for nuke talks with North Korea, Biden says