Bill Gates says Biden didn’t meet with him directly, had ‘delegation style’

(Daily Caller News Foundation) – Politico reporter Dasha Burns expressed surprise when billionaire Bill Gates told her on “The Conversation with Dasha Burns” Friday that he had more meetings with President Donald Trump during his first term than with former President Joe Biden during his sole term.

Nearly 50 individuals who were close to Biden throughout his administration told The Wall Street Journal toward the end of his term how aides insulated the former president and handled his duties amid increased concerns about his fitness. Gates told Burns on her podcast that although he was at the White House under Biden on numerous occasions where a meeting with the former president was possible, he ended up meeting with others in his administration instead.

“How different is your relationship with the president this time around than the first time that he was in the Oval?” Burns asked.

“I’d say it’s fairly similar,” Gates said. “He met with me a lot of times in the first administration. I met with him more times than I met with Biden.”

Burns seemed taken aback.

“Wow. Really?” she asked. “I think a lot of people will be surprised to hear that.”

“I was in the Biden White House a number of times when there was a possibility of having a meeting, but it never came through. And so I would meet with chiefs of staff and other people instead,” Gates explained. “We’ve had a few presidents that were pretty hands-on. [Bill] Clinton, [Barack] Obama and Trump, although they’re different, they’re all three pretty hands-on. They are interested in learning new things. Biden had more of a delegation style to how he did things.”

Aides modified Biden’s schedule to start his meetings later in the day as he tended to be less sharp during mornings, some sources told the WSJ. Sometimes meetings were reportedly scrapped altogether if the former president was having an “off day,” although the Biden White House refuted these claims to the outlet.

“He has good days and bad days, and today was a bad day so we’re going to address this tomorrow,” a former aide recalled one official saying to them, according to the WSJ.

Even cabinet officials asserted they frequently dealt with Biden’s advisers rather than the former president, according to the outlet.

Gates has also met with Trump during his second term, sitting near him at a White House dinner in September. He thanked Trump for his “incredible leadership,” including convening the meeting of tech leaders.

The president also posted on Truth Social in October that he was glad Gates pushed back on the view that climate change was an existential crisis.

“I (WE!) just won the War on the Climate Change Hoax. Bill Gates has finally admitted that he was completely WRONG on the issue,” Trump wrote. “It took courage to do so, and for that we are all grateful. MAGA!!!”