Photo: Brandon Bell/Getty; Nathan Howard/GettyPresidentJoe Bidendeclined to comment on anything related to former PresidentDonald Trump’s indictment during a brief exchange with members of the press on Friday morning.The president wasasked six questionsabout theTrump indictment. Reporters spoke a total of 86 words in their persistent probing; Biden spoke a total of 32 words in response.Those words were: “I have no comment on Trump,” “I have no comment at all on Trump,” “No,” “I – I’m not going to talk about Trump’s indictment,” “I have no comment on that,” and one more “No” for good measure.The president was speaking to journalists on the White House’s South Lawn as he hopped on Marine One. Questions asked about his initial reaction, if he thinks the indictment will further divide the nation, if there are concerns about protests, and if he thinks the charges against Trump are politically motivated.Reporters surely expected to hit dead ends with their questions, despite giving them a try, as silence has been the Biden administration’s go-to tactic when it comes to Trump and his legal issues.“There’s an old saying, if the enemy is digging themselves deeper, don’t throw them a rope,” Todd Belt, professor and political management program director at George Washington UniversitytoldUSA Today.“Silence is the best policy for him on this right now.“President Joe Biden.Michael Brochstein/SOPA Images/ShutterstockIt’s an unprecedented situation for a president to have to deal with. Trump, 76, is now the first sitting or former president in U.S. history to face criminal charges. The indictment comes more than six years after Trump allegedly paid hush money to adult film starStormy Danielswhile he was the presidential candidate in 2016.While Trump and his longtime lawyerMichael Coheninitially denied the claims of an affair, Cohen later admitted that there was a payment made to the porn star.Calling it “a private transaction,“Cohen toldThe New York Timesthat he paid Daniels $130,000 out of his own pocket in 2016. He said Trump had not reimbursed him.Trump has since admitted he authorized the $130,000 payment, but has continued to deny the underlying claims that the two had an affair or that the payment was in any way connected to his campaign.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.President Biden’s current communications strategy follows the traditional White House approach of avoiding comment on pending investigations. (Trumpwas less cautiousduring his presidency when it came to weighing in on such matters.)And while the nation questions what comes next in Trump’s investigation, Biden is laser-focused on himself and his agenda, treating the week like any other. On Friday already, thepresident’s Twitter pagecovered topics ranging fromannual inflation rates fallingto climate change and manufacturing.

Photo: Brandon Bell/Getty; Nathan Howard/Getty

Former President Donald Trump looks on before speaking during a tour to an unfinished section of the border wall on June 30, 2021 in Pharr, Texas. Gov. Abbott has pledged to build a state-funded border wall between Texas and Mexico as a surge of mostly Central American immigrants crossing into the United States has challenged U.S. immigration agencies. So far in 2021, U.S. Border Patrol agents have apprehended more than 900,000 immigrants crossing into the United States on the southern border. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images); U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on infrastructure at the Portland Air National Guard base on April 21, 2022 in Portland, Oregon. The speech marks the beginning of the president’s multi-day trip to the Northwest, with stops in Portland and Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

PresidentJoe Bidendeclined to comment on anything related to former PresidentDonald Trump’s indictment during a brief exchange with members of the press on Friday morning.The president wasasked six questionsabout theTrump indictment. Reporters spoke a total of 86 words in their persistent probing; Biden spoke a total of 32 words in response.Those words were: “I have no comment on Trump,” “I have no comment at all on Trump,” “No,” “I – I’m not going to talk about Trump’s indictment,” “I have no comment on that,” and one more “No” for good measure.The president was speaking to journalists on the White House’s South Lawn as he hopped on Marine One. Questions asked about his initial reaction, if he thinks the indictment will further divide the nation, if there are concerns about protests, and if he thinks the charges against Trump are politically motivated.Reporters surely expected to hit dead ends with their questions, despite giving them a try, as silence has been the Biden administration’s go-to tactic when it comes to Trump and his legal issues.“There’s an old saying, if the enemy is digging themselves deeper, don’t throw them a rope,” Todd Belt, professor and political management program director at George Washington UniversitytoldUSA Today.“Silence is the best policy for him on this right now.“President Joe Biden.Michael Brochstein/SOPA Images/ShutterstockIt’s an unprecedented situation for a president to have to deal with. Trump, 76, is now the first sitting or former president in U.S. history to face criminal charges. The indictment comes more than six years after Trump allegedly paid hush money to adult film starStormy Danielswhile he was the presidential candidate in 2016.While Trump and his longtime lawyerMichael Coheninitially denied the claims of an affair, Cohen later admitted that there was a payment made to the porn star.Calling it “a private transaction,“Cohen toldThe New York Timesthat he paid Daniels $130,000 out of his own pocket in 2016. He said Trump had not reimbursed him.Trump has since admitted he authorized the $130,000 payment, but has continued to deny the underlying claims that the two had an affair or that the payment was in any way connected to his campaign.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.President Biden’s current communications strategy follows the traditional White House approach of avoiding comment on pending investigations. (Trumpwas less cautiousduring his presidency when it came to weighing in on such matters.)And while the nation questions what comes next in Trump’s investigation, Biden is laser-focused on himself and his agenda, treating the week like any other. On Friday already, thepresident’s Twitter pagecovered topics ranging fromannual inflation rates fallingto climate change and manufacturing.

PresidentJoe Bidendeclined to comment on anything related to former PresidentDonald Trump’s indictment during a brief exchange with members of the press on Friday morning.

The president wasasked six questionsabout theTrump indictment. Reporters spoke a total of 86 words in their persistent probing; Biden spoke a total of 32 words in response.

Those words were: “I have no comment on Trump,” “I have no comment at all on Trump,” “No,” “I – I’m not going to talk about Trump’s indictment,” “I have no comment on that,” and one more “No” for good measure.

The president was speaking to journalists on the White House’s South Lawn as he hopped on Marine One. Questions asked about his initial reaction, if he thinks the indictment will further divide the nation, if there are concerns about protests, and if he thinks the charges against Trump are politically motivated.

Reporters surely expected to hit dead ends with their questions, despite giving them a try, as silence has been the Biden administration’s go-to tactic when it comes to Trump and his legal issues.

“There’s an old saying, if the enemy is digging themselves deeper, don’t throw them a rope,” Todd Belt, professor and political management program director at George Washington UniversitytoldUSA Today.“Silence is the best policy for him on this right now.”

President Joe Biden.Michael Brochstein/SOPA Images/Shutterstock

President Joe Biden giving the State of the Union Address in the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol

It’s an unprecedented situation for a president to have to deal with. Trump, 76, is now the first sitting or former president in U.S. history to face criminal charges. The indictment comes more than six years after Trump allegedly paid hush money to adult film starStormy Danielswhile he was the presidential candidate in 2016.

While Trump and his longtime lawyerMichael Coheninitially denied the claims of an affair, Cohen later admitted that there was a payment made to the porn star.

Calling it “a private transaction,“Cohen toldThe New York Timesthat he paid Daniels $130,000 out of his own pocket in 2016. He said Trump had not reimbursed him.

Trump has since admitted he authorized the $130,000 payment, but has continued to deny the underlying claims that the two had an affair or that the payment was in any way connected to his campaign.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

President Biden’s current communications strategy follows the traditional White House approach of avoiding comment on pending investigations. (Trumpwas less cautiousduring his presidency when it came to weighing in on such matters.)

And while the nation questions what comes next in Trump’s investigation, Biden is laser-focused on himself and his agenda, treating the week like any other. On Friday already, thepresident’s Twitter pagecovered topics ranging fromannual inflation rates fallingto climate change and manufacturing.

source: people.com