Nightly News   |  February 10, 2011

Mubarak's words flummox White House

Keeping a close watch on events in Egypt while talking about the economy in Michigan on Thursday, President Obama was taken by surprise by Mubarak's announcement that he was not immediately stepping down. NBC Chief White House Correspondent Chuck Todd reports.

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This content comes from a Full-Text Transcript of the program.

BRIAN WILLIAMS, anchor: This was a confusing day everywhere. Imagine inside the West Wing of the White House . For that we want to go to our chief White House correspondent Chuck Todd . Chuck , good evening.

CHUCK TODD reporting: Good evening, Brian . It's fair to say right now the White House and the West Wing is scrambling. They're trying to put together a statement -- written statement from the president. But earlier today, based on their own intelligence, the president went out during a trip in Michigan and sounded a very optimistic tone about what was happening.

President BARACK OBAMA: But what is absolutely clear is that we are witnessing history unfold. It's a moment of transformation that's taking place because the people of Egypt are calling for change. And they've turned out in extraordinary numbers, representing all ages and all walks of life, but it's young people who've been at the forefront.

TODD: Brian , look, they're still trying to figure out what happened. They did believe Mubarak was going to go. And something happened in the day, sometime during the time. Obviously, Richard has been reporting this. And now this time they're trying to be very careful with how they word the president's response, and that's why we're not going to see him on camera at all tonight and possibly not even tomorrow morning. Brian :

WILLIAMS: All right, Chuck Todd , where they're still scrambling to figure this out at the White House tonight. Chuck , thanks. And