President Joe Biden issued a brief statement to reporters on the FAA outage on Wednesday, noting that he is in contact with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
“I just spoke with Buttigieg. They don’t know what caused it. But I was on the phone with him the last 10 minutes. I told them to report me directly when they find out. Planes can still land in safe, just don’t take off right now,” Biden said as he left the White House.
“They don’t know what caused it. They expect that in a few hours they will have a good idea of what caused it and will respond then,” he added.
When asked if it was a cyberattack, Biden replied, “They don’t know. they will find out. Earlier today, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said “There is no evidence of a cyberattack at this stage.”
And Chief of Staff Ron Klain said that Biden “directed the DOT/FAA to quickly and safely restore the system and determine the causes,” adding that Buttigieg will update Biden “later this morning.”
He accompanies First Lady Jill Biden to Walter Reed in Bethesda, Maryland, where she is to undergo standard Mohs outpatient surgery to remove a lesion discovered during a routine skin cancer screening.
