President Joe Biden chose not to respond to reporters' inquiries on Tuesday, while the Secret Service investigates the presence of cocaine in the White House, marking a significant security
breach.
During a National Education Association event, President Biden delivered a speech alongside First Lady Jill Biden, while Hunter Biden and members of the first family gathered to celebrate the Fourth of July.
The discovery of white powder in the West Wing on Sunday, while the President and his son were at Camp David, tested positive for cocaine, leading to the evacuation of the White House.
At present, the Secret Service is conducting an investigation, but during the Tuesday afternoon event with educators, President Biden did not address the shocking discovery.
The Bidens appeared virtually at the Orlando conference from the South Court Auditorium within the White House complex.
During the event, Biden expressed his opposition to guns in schools, stating, "By the way, arming teachers is not the answer."
Gun violence was on the President's mind as earlier that day, he released a statement condemning the wave of shootings that had shaken American cities leading up to the Fourth of July holiday.
After delivering his remarks to the virtual NEA crowd, President Biden swiftly left the scene with Dr. Biden, disregarding the shouts of reporters.
Reporters pressed him on whether he was negotiating a deal with Russia for the release of Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich, as the Kremlin had expressed openness to another prisoner exchange.
As Biden exited, reporters continued to shout over each other.
Over the weekend, the White House released a lengthy statement on gun violence.
Biden's statement said, "Over the last few days, our nation has once again endured a wave of tragic and senseless shootings in communities across America - from Philadelphia to Fort Worth, Baltimore to Lansing, Wichita to Chicago. Today, Jill and I grieve for those who have lost their lives, and as our nation celebrates Independence Day, we pray for the day when our communities will be free from gun violence."
The President also highlighted that the Fourth of July marked the one-year anniversary of the Highland Park, Illinois shooting, which involved the use of an AR-15 rifle.
"In the year since, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering, legislative leaders, numerous advocates, and gun violence survivors have tirelessly fought to turn the pain of Highland Park and other acts of gun violence into meaningful action on behalf of all Illinoisans," Biden remarked. Photo by Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, Wikimedia commons.