The glaring omission in Biden's first press conference

Thursday's press conference was President Biden's first since taking office, so there was a lot of ground to cover. Even so, there were some surprising themes in which topics were addressed, and which were glaringly left out of the conversation.
Biden started his White House press conference by announcing a new goal of reaching 200 million COVID-19 vaccine doses within his first 100 days as president. Aside from that, there were no questions and no discussion directly related to the still-ongoing pandemic and the nation's vaccine rollout.
As CBC News' Alexander Panetta pointed out, "sometimes this stuff just happens by accident. Every reporter assumes someone else will ask something about it — and nobody does."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The lack of discussion on vaccine eligibility, vaccine hesitancy, or the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief plan that was just passed stood in contrast to the amount of time spent talking about immigration.
Biden fielded questions on unaccompanied minors arriving at the border, and crowded facilities holding migrants seeking asylum. He also answered questions about whether he'll run for re-election in 2024, and whether Vice President Kamala Harris would be his running mate. He forcefully commented on Republican-led efforts to restrict voting access. He "dodged" on eliminating the Senate filibuster, but there were no questions to dodge regarding unemployment, climate change, or gun reform.
Of course, an hour-long appearance can only pack in so many questions, but Biden's first presser is likely to lead to calls for another one very soon.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.
-
Film reviews: The Phoenician Scheme, Bring Her Back, and Jane Austen Wrecked My Life
Feature A despised mogul seeks a fresh triumph, orphaned siblings land with a nightmare foster mother, and a Jane fan finds herself in a love triangle
-
Music reviews: Tune-Yards and PinkPantheress
Feature "Better Dreaming" and "Fancy That"
-
Withdrawing 529 plan funds for college? Here's what to know.
the explainer Maximize the amount you have stashed away for your education
-
Elon Musk slams Trump's 'pork-filled' signature bill
speed read 'Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong,' Musk posted on X
-
Depleted FEMA struggling as hurricane season begins
speed read FEMA has lost a third of its workforce amid DOGE cuts enforced by President Donald Trump
-
White House tackles fake citations in MAHA report
speed read A federal government public health report spearheaded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was rife with false citations
-
Judge blocks push to bar Harvard foreign students
speed read Judge Allison Burroughs sided with Harvard against the Trump administration's attempt to block the admittance of international students
-
Trump's trade war whipsawed by court rulings
Speed Read A series of court rulings over Trump's tariffs renders the future of US trade policy uncertain
-
Elon Musk departs Trump administration
speed read The former DOGE head says he is ending his government work to spend more time on his companies
-
Trump taps ex-personal lawyer for appeals court
speed read The president has nominated Emil Bove, his former criminal defense lawyer, to be a federal judge
-
US trade court nullifies Trump's biggest tariffs
speed read The US Court of International Trade says Trump exceeded his authority in imposing global tariffs