President Joe Biden was photographed holding a printed cheat sheet Monday while clarifying a previous statement that Russian President Vladimir Putin should not remain in power.
The paper, labeled “Tough Putin Q&A Talking Points,” directed how he should address questions from reporters after saying Putin “shouldn’t be in power” in an unscripted moment during a speech in Poland on Saturday.
The paper, a close-up shot of which appears in a photo from the European Pressphoto Agency, had a bullet-point list of answers to questions the president might be asked. Among them was clarifying his Putin comment, insisting that he should say, “I was expressing the moral outrage I felt toward the actions of this man.”
Another bullet reads, “I was not articulating a change in policy.”
BIDEN: ‘I’M NOT WALKING ANYTHING BACK’ ON WHETHER PUTIN SHOULD IN POWER
Some of the language on the list Biden used word for word while drilled by reporters.
“I want to make it clear I wasn’t then, nor am I now, articulating a policy change,” Biden told reporters. “I was expressing moral outrage that I feel. I make no apologies for it.”
Biden had to have “I was not articulating a change in policy” written verbatim on a notecard so he wouldn’t screw it up… and he still screwed it up pic.twitter.com/OvEwlHQVry
— Jake Schneider (@jacobkschneider) March 28, 2022
The list also included answers to possible questions about fragmented NATO unity after several European partners disapproved of Biden’s comment.
One of the bullets reads, “No. NATO has never been more united.”
Biden sought to resolve any questions about his position on if Putin should remain in power, saying that he was speaking to the Russian people but not calling for a regime change.
“I’m not walking anything back. The fact of the matter is I was expressing the moral outrage I felt,” Biden said.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Biden, like his predecessors, has been photographed on several occasions relying on a cheat sheet. During a press conference last March, the president was seen using scripted note cards and a pamphlet with photographs of journalists in attendance.
