Today Joe Biden acknowledged that the White House was warned about the baby formula crisis after being confronted by a reporter.
Biden began by blaming “the shutdown of one facility, the Abbott facility,” the baby formula manufacturer that some say helped spark the crisis. “I don’t think anyone anticipated the impact of the shutdown,” the 46th president told the press.
“Didn’t the CEOs just tell you they understood it would have a very big impact,” a reporter asked Biden. He replied, “They did, but I didn’t.”
On the same day Biden made the remarks, an NBC News article citing anonymous White House sources put Biden at odds with his own staff over the baby formula crisis.
According to that article, Biden is “frustrated” after not being briefed about the crisis until May, despite CEOs warning of the crisis for some time. It was indicated that the White House attempted to hide the crisis from him.
Now, the Biden administration is playing catch up to address the crisis, and has admitted that it may take several months for the supply of baby formula to return to normal in the United States.
This comes despite Biden arranging for what some say amounts to foreign aid from Germany. The European powerhouse country has sent the United States and undisclosed amount of baby formula, paid for with taxpayer dollars, to help alleviate the crisis.
High profile Democrats initially attempted to downplay the severity of the baby formula shortage that has mothers traveling great distances – including across state lines – with the goal of feeding their children.
Perhaps indicating the severity of the shortage, Google search interest for baby formula substitutes have reached an all time high.
45th President Donald Trump, meanwhile, said it is a “national disgrace” to send $40 billion to Ukraine while struggling to feed American children.
