Biden Cracks Jokes About Russia Hours After Launching More Sanctions

President Joe Biden peppered two separate jokes about Russia into a Tuesday afternoon supply chain event at the White House, just hours after he launched the first salvo of sanctions against the Kremlin for its actions in eastern Ukraine.

Near the end of his remarks, which were virtually attended by California Gov. Gavin Newsom and mineral industry executives investing in the state, Biden joked that someone “was pointing out to me today” that California’s economy is “about the size of Russia’s, for real.”

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“Twice the size, Mr. President,” Newsom responded. “The fifth-largest economy in the world, so treat us well.”

“But who’s paying attention, right?” Biden added, earning a few chuckles.

Then, as press members were leaving the event, Fox News’s Peter Doocy asked Biden if he “underestimated” Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“The thing I love about the press is they’re always on message,” the president responded before appearing to turn toward the meeting participants to ask, “Did you underestimate Putin?”

The event was originally scheduled to highlight the administration’s efforts to boost domestic collection and refinement of critical earth minerals, which included billions in funding for related programs housed in Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure law.

The president framed those steps as a means of wresting control of America’s supply chains away from China.

“When it comes to clean energy, China has spent several years cornering the market on many of the materials that power the technologies that we rely on,” he stated. “That’s why I committed us to build a clean energy supply chain that’s made in America. Made in America means we use the products, parts, and materials, as well as minerals, right here that are in the United States of America.”

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You can watch Biden’s meeting in full below.