(CORRECTION - 12/20/24, 10:40 AM EDT: As was noted in Thursday's Morning Minute, Joe Biden's official schedule on Thursday always had him returning to the White House on Thursday night after traveling to Delaware for a memorial service on the anniversary of the death of his first wife, Neilia, and daughter Naomi. And, the X account "Based Mike Lee" is, in fact, the personal account of Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT). We regret the errors.)
The internet is buzzing Thursday night/Friday morning as news broke that Vice President Kamala Harris abruptly canceled her California trip while President Joe Biden returned to the White House from his vacation in Delaware.
Fox News LA’s Elex Michaelson said there has been no explanation at this time for the VP's sudden change of plans:
VP Kamala Harris cancelled her trip to Los Angeles tonight at the last minute and returned to the White House.
— Elex Michaelson (@Elex_Michaelson) December 20, 2024
It’s not clear why.
However, he theorized that Harris had returned in case she needed to be a tie-breaking vote in the ongoing saga of the budget negotiations:
A likely explanation is Harris wants to be in D.C. in case her tiebreaking vote in the U.S. Senate is needed to avert/end a government shutdown
— Elex Michaelson (@Elex_Michaelson) December 20, 2024
But that wouldn’t account for why Biden also apparently returned from yet another one of his endless leisure trips. What role would he play in negotiations, considering he is mostly an invisible president at this time? An X account called @basedmikelee, which is reportedly the personal account for the Republican Utah senator, wondered if something was afoot:
Is this a 25A moment? https://t.co/FzfdZUJ9mX
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) December 20, 2024
MyNewsLA reports:
Vice President Kamala Harris canceled plans to fly to Los Angeles Thursday evening.
Harris had been scheduled to arrive at Los Angeles International Airport at 11:35 p.m. Thursday, according to the White House. But around midday Thursday, her office announced that she “will not travel to Los Angeles, CA, and will remain in Washington, D.C.”
>@VP has canceled her trip to Los Angeles as a shutdown approaches. pic.twitter.com/WtBy5d4LAj
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) December 19, 2024
The reasons for Biden’s return were not clear either:
President Biden is returning to the White House from Delaware on Thursday evening as a partial government shutdown looms.
Biden is scheduled to arrive in Washington at 5:30 p.m., according to his official schedule.
A bipartisan spending package appears doomed after President-elect Trump's criticism of its contents, particularly a pay raise for members of Congress and lack of a provision to address the nation's debt ceiling. The national debt is currently $36.1 trillion.
Congress has until midnight on Friday to pass a bill to avoid a shutdown.
He looked haunted and strange as he shuffled gingerly across the White House lawn with Jill and his grandson Beau and mostly ignored the reporters who were shouting questions at him.
Joe Biden stares blankly at the ground as he returns from Delaware for his final month occupying the White House.
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) December 20, 2024
This will culminate the worst presidency in US history.pic.twitter.com/bv5JnAoi7N
The Incredibly Shrinking President:
The deadline for passing some sort of spending bill is Friday night at midnight, we reported. RedState will keep you updated as events warrant.
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