President Barack Obama appeared before TV cameras at the Red Cross’ headquarters to showcase his role in aiding states’ recovery from Hurricane Sandy.
On Wednesday, he’ll travel to New Jersey for some outdoor shots.
Obama took no questions at the end of his 10-minute talk, and neither did White House spokesman Jay Carney, who didn’t hold a press event today.
“I want to talk about the extraordinary hardship we’ve seen over the last 48 hours. … Obviously, this is something that is heartbreaking for the entire nation,” Obama said.
“We are standing behind you, and we are doing everything we can to help you get back on your feet,” Obama declared from the headquarters.
The president urged Americans to help each other.
“To the extent that everybody can be out there looking for their neighbors, particularly the elderly folks … that can make a big difference,” said Obama, who normally emphasizes government responses to crises.
“Now is the time to show the common generosity that makes the United States the greatest place on Earth.”
The president also emphasized federal aid.
In times of crisis, “we pull together, we leave nobody behind, we make sure we respond as a nation,” Obama said, reprising one of his 2012 campaign themes.
“Whenever an American is in need, all of us stand together in providing the help that is necessary,” he added.
The crisis allows Obama to showcase his role as a national leader in the face of campaign pressure from Gov. Mitt Romney and growing complaints from GOP leaders that Obama abandoned U.S. diplomatic and CIA officials trapped in Benghazi.
According to Fox News, military reinforcements were denied three times to diplomatic and CIA officials in Libya on Sept. 11, while jihadis continued seven hours of attacks against the U.S. Embassy and the nearby CIA annex.