President Biden departed New York City Friday to spend the Easter weekend with his family at Camp David without publicly mentioning the Monday murder of NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller — and after raising at least $26 million at a celebrity-filled campaign extravaganza Thursday night.
Biden and first lady Jill Biden boarded Air Force One at JFK Airport, about six miles from where Diller was gunned down in Far Rockaway.
The first couple were joined by scandal-plagued son Hunter, daughter Ashley and grandson Beau around 12:45 p.m.
Diller’s Thursday wake and Friday viewing in Massapequa, 20 miles east of the airport, drew New York City and New York state’s top politicians — as well as former President Donald Trump, who is seeking a rematch against Biden in November.
Biden has not said anything publicly about Diller’s traffic-stop death or issued a written statement.
The president attended a campaign event Friday morning in Manhattan and delivered a standard stump speech, saying that foreign leaders were concerned about a potential Trump restoration and adding that “I’m not so special, but I’m not Trump.”
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday that Biden had offered condolences for Diller’s death to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, but did not say whether the president had contacted the officer’s family.
“Our hearts go out, obviously, to the officer’s family and the broader NYPD family who have tragically lost one of their own. The president grieves for them and honors their sacrifice,” Jean-Pierre told reporters.
Trump met Thursday afternoon with Diller’s family, including his widow, Stephanie, and 1-year-old son.
Adams attended Diller’s wake Thursday and Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul briefly attended Friday afternoon’s viewing before being confronted by a man outside as she left.
Guy Rivera, 34, was charged Thursday with first-degree murder in Diller’s death. He had 21 prior arrests and was on parole until last year after serving a five-year prison term on a drug conviction.
