A Reporter Actually Asked Joe Biden If He Was Too Quick To Rule Out ‘World War III’ And People Can’t Believe It

While meeting with NATO allies in Brussels, President Joe Biden was essentially asked by an ABC reporter if he was perhaps too quick to rule out starting “World War III” as a means of deterring Vladimir Putin‘s invasion of Ukraine. It was an odd moment to say the least, and while Biden fielded the question well, you can tell by the puzzled look on his face that he can’t believe what he was just asked.

Here’s Cecelia Vega’s full question, and while you can kinda see where she’s coming from, it’s hard not to interpret her line of thought as endorsing engaging Russia militarily, which would end badly for everyone. There’s a reason why the Cold War was cold, people.

“Sir, you’ve made it very clear in this conflict that you did not want to see World War III. But is it possible that, in expressing that so early, that you were too quick to rule out direct military intervention in this war. Could Putin have been emboldened, knowing that you were not going to get involved directly in this conflict?”

Biden’s response: “No and no.” You can see the exchange below, and Biden’s facial expression really ties the whole thing together:

Meanwhile, on social media, people can’t believe that a journalist for ABC News is literally out here asking if maybe Joe Biden made a mistake by not immediately sparking a global conflict that could end in nuclear war. Folks had a lot of thoughts about the current state of the media, but there was also a considerable amount of praise for Biden shutting the whole thing down like day-old malarkey.

(Via Aaron Rupar on Twitter)