Photo: Twitter/CSPAN
Whenever a public figure does a public appearance, representatives of the media, be they journalists or bloggers, seem to use a throw-everything-and-see-what-sticks type of approach. Joe Biden, current President of the United States, was having none of that during an official visit at the Ford plant in Dearborn, Michigan.
One day ahead of the official presentation of the all-new all-electric Ford pickup truck, F-150 Lightning, Biden visited the Michigan plant and got a preview of it. On the occasion, he addressed the media and spoke to Ford employees and directed many questions at Ford brass on the topic of the electric truck.
He then went off-script with an impromptu test drive of the F-150 Lightning on the test track, with a Security Service officer in the passenger seat. Biden was impressed by the acceleration time of the truck (4.4 seconds for 0 to 60 mph/96.5 kph: “this sucker is quick!”) and was clearly thrilled at the opportunity he was given. So much so that he flat-out refused to take any questions on the Israeli-Palestinian ongoing conflict, even threatening a reporter with running them over in the truck.
“I’m just teasing,” Biden added. And while it was clear he was joking about running over someone just for asking a question (duh), he was very serious about not wanting to take off-topic questions as he sped off. White House representatives say that this event was about Ford and ongoing electrification efforts, and any other discussion would have distracted from that. Think of it in terms of stealing Lightning’s thunder.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki hinted as much to reporters aboard Air Force One on the way there. International conflicts are not solved by discussing them publicly at non-related events but working hard behind closed doors with the parties involved, Psaki explained, as cited by USA Today.
The Ford F-150 Lightning will be officially unveiled on May 19 at an event at the same Dearborn plant. So far, the only official details made public include references to how this will be Ford’s most powerful truck. The dual-motor truck comes with a battery pack that weighs 1,800 pounds (816 kilograms) alone, meaning a capacity of 100-112 kWh.
He then went off-script with an impromptu test drive of the F-150 Lightning on the test track, with a Security Service officer in the passenger seat. Biden was impressed by the acceleration time of the truck (4.4 seconds for 0 to 60 mph/96.5 kph: “this sucker is quick!”) and was clearly thrilled at the opportunity he was given. So much so that he flat-out refused to take any questions on the Israeli-Palestinian ongoing conflict, even threatening a reporter with running them over in the truck.
“I’m just teasing,” Biden added. And while it was clear he was joking about running over someone just for asking a question (duh), he was very serious about not wanting to take off-topic questions as he sped off. White House representatives say that this event was about Ford and ongoing electrification efforts, and any other discussion would have distracted from that. Think of it in terms of stealing Lightning’s thunder.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki hinted as much to reporters aboard Air Force One on the way there. International conflicts are not solved by discussing them publicly at non-related events but working hard behind closed doors with the parties involved, Psaki explained, as cited by USA Today.
The Ford F-150 Lightning will be officially unveiled on May 19 at an event at the same Dearborn plant. So far, the only official details made public include references to how this will be Ford’s most powerful truck. The dual-motor truck comes with a battery pack that weighs 1,800 pounds (816 kilograms) alone, meaning a capacity of 100-112 kWh.
President Biden test drives F-150 Lightning: "This sucker's quick!" pic.twitter.com/BoVG04Ro9M
— CSPAN (@cspan) May 18, 2021
President Biden is currently driving a F-150 Lightning through an empty lot, with a Secret Service agent in the passenger seat. "This sucker's quick," he told reporters. pic.twitter.com/KsVzZiVDB6
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) May 18, 2021
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