"I'm going to be very honest, it's been hard. It's been very hard," Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told a daily briefing when asked about the mood following the 81-year-old's historic announcement. "It's an emotional moment for everyone, you know, including me.
" Biden's staff gathered with wine and pizza to watch Wednesday night's primetime address to the nation by the president on screens a floor above the Oval Office, US media reported. After the emotional 11-minute speech, the aging Democrat then went into the Rose Garden where there were "hundreds of staff cheering him on," Jean-Pierre said. "It was a beautiful, beautiful moment," said Jean-Pierre, 49, who made history as the first Black and the first openly gay person to serve as press secretary when she was appointed in May 2022.
Speaking from the famed White House briefing room podium, she added: "He also wanted to appreciate the staff. He knows how hard it's been, not just the past three and a half years, but certainly the past couple of weeks." Biden spoke "off the cuff" to thank them and talk about the "historic amount of work that we've been get able to get done, and what's ahead the next six months.
" Ice cream -- famously one of Biden's favorite treats -- was also served to White House staff, reports said. The televised speech, in which Biden said it was time to "pass the torch" to a younger generation but did not delve further into his decision, was also a deeply emotional moment for the president's family. B.