(22 Jul 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Berlin, Germany – 22 July 2024
1. Wide of German government news briefing
2. German government spokesperson Christiane Hoffmann speaking
3. Journalist
4. SOUNDBITE (German) Christiane Hoffmann, German government spokesperson:
“The Federal Chancellor has already made a statement on X and once again emphasised his great appreciation for what the American President has achieved in his time in office so far, first and foremost for the United States, of course, but above all for the transatlantic relationship, for Europe and Germany. And of course he also has respect for the President’s decision.”
5. Journalists
6. Hoffmann speaking
7. SOUNDBITE (German) Christiane Hoffmann, German government spokesperson:
“I would say that we have all been watching the news over the past weeks and months. I can’t imagine that anyone could have been at all surprised by this topic, which has been so widely discussed.”
8. Journalists
9. Hoffmann speaking
10. SOUNDBITE (German) Christiane Hoffmann, German government spokesperson:
“Yes, first of all, we don’t comment publicly on election campaigns in other countries, even if they are very close friends like the USA. But of course, change is always part of a democracy. That is the essence of democracy. And of course we also prepare ourselves for everything that could be connected with such a change, as far as we can prepare ourselves.”
11. Wide of briefing
12. Hoffmann speaking
13. SOUNDBITE (German) Christiane Hoffmann, German government spokesperson:
‘Yes, well, the Federal Chancellor has repeatedly described the US President as a friend. So I would definitely confirm that. And he has, as is usual with U.S. vice presidents, met several times with Mrs. Harris. In other words, there is a certain closeness, a certain familiarity. And, as I said, he has found her to be an experienced and competent politician.”
14. Journalist
15. Wide of news briefing
STORYLINE:
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed his "great appreciation" for the achievements of US President Joe Biden in a post on X, a government spokesperson said Monday following Biden’s announcement he was withdrawing from the US presidential race.
“The Federal Chancellor has already made a statement on X and once again emphasised his great appreciation for what the American President has achieved in his time in office so far, first and foremost for the United States, of course, but above all for the transatlantic relationship, for Europe and Germany," Christiane Hoffman told a news conference in Berlin.
Hoffmann said Biden’s decision didn’t come as a total surprise.
“We have all been watching the news over the past weeks and months,” she said. “I can’t imagine that anyone could have been at all surprised by this topic, which has been so widely discussed.”
Biden announced his decision to withdraw from the race for the Democratic nomination in a public letter on Sunday and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor.
German officials wouldn’t comment on the campaign or the nomination process.
But, asked about Chancellor Scholz’s relationship with Harris, Hoffmann noted that Scholz has met with her several times.
"There is already a degree of closeness, a degree of familiarity; and he has found her to be an experienced and competent politician,” she said.
AP Video shot by Fanny Brodersen
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