White House responds to cocaine bombshell

The Biden administration has addressed the sensational discovery of cocaine in the White House as new details emerge about where the drugs were found.

The White House moved to distance Joe Biden and his family from the discovery of cocaine in the West Wing.

In the Biden administration’s first response to the bombshell, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the president wasn’t at the White House when the drugs were found.

It comes as law enforcement officials claimed the owner of the cocaine may never be identified, even if security cameras were trained on the location the drugs were discovered.

“The president, the first lady and their family were not here this weekend,” Ms Jean-Pierre said. “They left on Friday and returned just yesterday.”

She added that the White House held tours in the area of the West Wing on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre responds to the discovery of cocaine in the West Wing. Picture: AFP

Biden faced criticism for bringing his son, Hunter Biden, to a state dinner following his plea deal on tax and firearm charges, and the timing of the cocaine discovery led to further scrutiny online over the presence of president’s family at the White House.

While Ms Jean-Pierre said they would not speculate on who brought the cocaine to the White House, a law enforcement official said they may never be found due to the highly-trafficked area where it was discovered.

“It’s gonna be very difficult for us to do that because of where it was,” the anonymous source told Politico.

Joe Biden faced criticism for inviting Hunter Biden to a state dinner at The White House. Picture: AFP

“Even if there were surveillance cameras, unless you were waving it around, it may not have been caught,” they added. “It’s a bit of a thoroughfare. People walk by there all the time.”

Lab testing confirmed field results that the white powder discovered on Sunday was cocaine, according to the Secret Service.

It was reportedly found near the ground floor entrance to the West Wing where guests are asked to leave the phones before staff-led tours of the White House, a person familiar with the matter told CNN.

“There is an area of the West Wing where it is highly travelled, and that is what happens, people come through this particular area,” Ms Jean-Pierre said.

She said the White House was subject to rigorous guidelines including drug testing, and suggested staff would be tested as part of the investigation into the cocaine. “We will take any action that is warranted and appropriate pending the outcome of the Secret Service,” she said.

COCAINE FOUND AT WHITE HOUSE

A white substance that sparked an emergency evacuation at the White House has tested positive for cocaine, according to US media reports.

The substance was found in a work area on Sunday, local time, at the secure building during a routine inspection, the US Secret Service said.

The preliminary positive test was reported by the Washington Post and AP News.

CNN is reporting that the white powdery substance was in a Ziploc bag.

US President Joe Biden and his family were away at the Camp David residence when the substance was found.

Cocaine has been found at the White House during a routine inspection. Picture: AFP

Hunter Biden returns to Washington after spending the weekend at Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland. Picture: AFP

Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi told the Washington Post that the discovery led to an elevated security alert and a brief evacuation of the White House.

Social media erupted given the US President’s son, Hunter Biden, who has had past addiction problems with crack cocaine, had recently been staying in the White House before heading to Camp David with his father for the holiday long weekend.

“Where’s Hunter?” asked Donald Trump junior, son of the former US president, on Twitter.

Former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer slammed the official reluctance to disclose the location.

“Authorities aren’t saying exactly where it was found. If it’s the Old Executive Office Building, it’s likely staff. If it’s the mansion, it’s likely Hunter,” Fleischer tweeted.

The West Wing contains the offices of the US President, including the Oval Office and the Situation Room.

It also houses the offices of the vice-president, the White House chief of staff, the press secretary, and hundreds of other staff.

Originally published as White House responds to cocaine bombshell