Biden, Harris cancel Christmas plans, sparking speculation about White House 'emergency'

US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris unexpectedly canceled their Christmas plans and remained in Washington on Thursday, prompting speculation about a potential White House "emergency."

Several social media users tied the chaos in DC to Russia's early morning missile strikes on Kyiv, News.az reports, citing foreign media.

The administration has not issued a formal statement yet.

Biden was expected to spend the holidays in Delaware. He reportedly returned to DC, taking his motorcade directly from the airport to the White House. Harris canceled her planned flight to Los Angeles and stayed in the capital.

Several social media users tied this White House 'emergency' to strikes in Kyiv. At least one person was killed and two wounded after multiple explosions took place in Ukraine’s capital, the city's mayor confirmed on Friday morning.

Vice President Kamala Harris abruptly canceled her plans to travel to Los Angeles on Thursday evening, Newsweek reports, citing an announcement from her office.

However, around midday, her office stated that she would "not travel to Los Angeles, CA, and will remain in Washington, D.C."

The news comes after reports that President Joe Biden had also arrived back at the White House after cancelling his upcoming holiday in Delaware.

No explanation was provided for the sudden change in Harris' plans.

There were no public details outlining the reason for Harris' trip, but it was speculated that she may have been intending to spend time at her home in Brentwood.

It also remains unclear whether her decision to return to Washington D.C. was tied to the looming threat of a partial government shutdown as Congress struggles to reach an agreement on a funding bill.

Lawmakers now have less than 24 hours to pass a temporary measure in order to keep all federal agencies open, just days before Christmas.

House Republicans were unable to pass a stopgap funding bill on Thursday, which had been crafted in response to demands made by the President-elect Donald Trump.

The bill failed with 235 members voting against it, including 38 Republicans. It needed a two-thirds majority to pass.

Republicans and Democrats had initially reached a bipartisan agreement in order to keep the government open.

News.Az