On November 3, a Fox News reporter asked Biden about the Wall Street Journal story at a press conference. It was “garbage,” Biden replied, dismissing the reports as inaccurate. But the figure had come up in the settlement talks. A few days later, Biden corrected himself. He reasserted his belief that the families separated by Trump should receive some form of compensation; he just wasn’t sure what an appropriate amount might be. Privately, though, officials at the White House argued that moving ahead with a settlement had become a greater political liability than any potential fallout from a
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