Remarks by President Biden After Air Force One Arrival

Dover Air Force Base
Dover, Delaware

2:43 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  I just wanted to say thanks.  It’s a long — and the fact that you got to get up at 2:30 in the morning, you know, East Coast time to be here.  But thank you very much.  I know it was a long trip for you all.  But thank you.

Q    Did you get some rest?

THE PRESIDENT: I did.  I slept for a couple hours.  So —

Q    How was that turbulence?  

THE PRESIDENT:  I slept through it.  (Laughs.)

Q    Did you do everything you wanted to do in Ireland?

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, we have more to do in the north.  We have more to do to get the — get the — the government formed.  And that — I think we can still do that and it’s important.  And I’ll continue to work with the Prime Minister of England, as well as the Taoiseach.  

But thank you all very much.

Q    Where are you going to put the brick?  Where’s the brick going to go, sir?

THE PRESIDENT:  I haven’t figured that out yet.  (Laughs.)

Q    Did anyone ask you about Irish unity, whether that is ever something you’ll see in your lifetime and in our lifetime?

THE PRESIDENT:  I — say that again?

Q    Irish unity.  Did that come up at all in any of your conversations —

THE PRESIDENT:  Oh, yeah.

Q    — (inaudible)?

THE PRESIDENT:  No —

Q    Do you think that’s something that’ll ever happen?

THE PRESIDENT:  I think it will.  I think we’re getting close — oh, you mean the unification of the island?

Q    Yeah, that’s what I mean.  Yeah, sorry.

THE PRESIDENT:  No, no, no, no.  No, that — that is — I think it’s more — I think the — when that came up with someone raising the question in a larger group, and they said, “Well, maybe Scotland first.”  (Laughs.)  They were being facetious.

But all kidding aside, no, it’s just about making sure that the Good Friday Agreements and the (inaudible) Accord work.  And the gov- —

Look, this is such an opportunity.  It really is an incredible opportunity for the north, in terms of economic growth and economic prosperity.  And they have all the tools.  They have the universities.  They have the technicians.  They have a lot of — I mean, north and south.

So — well, thank you all very much.

Q    Any update on the debt ceiling?  Will you speak with Speaker McCarthy in the coming weeks on that?

THE PRESIDENT:  Of course I’ll speak to him.  Show me his budget.  That old expression — “show me your budget.”  You know, he — we agreed early on, I’d lay down a budget, which I did on March 9th, and he’d lay down a budget.  I don’t know what we’re negotiating if I don’t know what they want, what they’re going to do.

Thank you so very much.

Q    Thank you, sir.

Q    Any comment on the abortion decision by the Supreme Court to pause it?

THE PRESIDENT:  Did they decide, the Supreme Court?

Q    No, that they — they’re pausing —

THE PRESIDENT:  I think —

Q    — (inaudible).

THE PRESIDENT:  — it’s outrageous what the court has done relative to concluding that they’re going to overrule the FDA whether it’s going to be safe or not.  I think it’s out of their domain.  And — but we’ll see what happens.  We’ll see.

Thank you all so very much.

​2:45 A.M. EDT