Joe Biden is the subject of an official complaint that has been filed against him by the White House press corps after his aides shouted down questions from reporters and escorted them out of the room, according to The Daily Wire.
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson answered questions from reporters after he shared a conversation with Joe Biden in the Oval Office, where the two leaders covered a variety of contemporary topics.
When the reporters directed their questions towards Joe Biden, the inquiries were allegedly ignored by him and the reporters were then moved out of the Oval Office by his aides.
CBS reporter Ed O’Keefe described the sudden turn of events with a post on Twitter.
“[President] Biden and British PM [Boris Johnson] meet to discuss pandemic, trade and other issues,” Adding, “Johnson took 3 questions. White House aides shouted down U.S. attempts to ask questions. I asked Biden about southern border and we couldn’t decipher what he said.”
IN THE OVAL OFFICE… @POTUS Biden and British PM @BorisJohnson meet to discuss pandemic, trade and other issues. Johnson took 3 questions. White House aides shouted down U.S. attempts to ask questions. I asked Biden about southern border and we couldn’t decipher what he said. pic.twitter.com/A86kgdfsuc
— Ed O’Keefe (@edokeefe) September 21, 2021
Voice of America reporter, Steve Herman wrote that the “US @WhiteHousepress pool immediately protests Oval Office treatment. (This dispatch from radio pooler and @whca president @stevenportnoy.)”
US @WhiteHouse press pool immediately protests Oval Office treatment. (This dispatch from radio pooler and @whca president @stevenportnoy.) pic.twitter.com/FZS0N5EBcN
— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) September 21, 2021
White House Correspondents’ Association President Steven Portnoy issued a statement describing the unusual experience. He wrote; “The entire editorial component of the US pool went immediately into Jen Psaki’s office to register a formal complaint that no American reporters were recognized for questions in the president’s Oval Office, and that wranglers loudly shouted over the president as he seemed to give an answer to Ed O’Keefe’s question about the situation at the Southern Border. Biden’s answer could not be heard over the shouting,”
It was reported that Jen Psaki was not present, nor aware the incident had occurred.
This is not the first time that complaints have been levied against this administration for restricting access to Joe Biden.
Psaki rejected a suggestion that Biden hold a press conference to mend broken faith with the press corps and stated that Joe Biden “takes questions several times a week.”
The Washington Post’s Ashley Parker wrote about the incident; “Worth noting that Biden ran for office promising to restore democracy after 4 years of Trump. But today it was the British leader, NOT the American one, who spotlighted a key tenet of a flourishing democracy — respect for a free press — by taking questions from his press corps.”
Stephen Miller from The Spectator wrote in response to the mayhem in the Oval Office; “Joe Biden has not taken or answered a single question regarding the border, FDA boosters getting shot down and the drone strike that killed 7 kids. His aides shout down reporters and herds them out of rooms, and the press complies with them.”
Bloomberg News correspondent, Jennifer Jacobs tweeted; “Biden aides shouted over the president in the Oval Office, trying to prevent a back-and-forth between @POTUS and the press corps.”
“White House colleagues might be interested to know the British press thought aides shouting was totally out of order. An unwelcome lack of accountability…” posted Pippa Crerar of the Daily Mirror.
White House colleagues might be interested to know the British press thought aides shouting was totally out of order. An unwelcome lack of accountability… https://t.co/HZMBFUCgkA
— Pippa Crerar (@PippaCrerar) September 21, 2021
National Politics Editor & Correspondent for E.W. Scripps, Joe St. George wrote that Biden’s tactics are different from former President Donald Trump when he’s frustrated with the press, but the results were the same.
He may not scream “fake news” but his aides have no problem screaming “let’s go, thank you!” That’s Biden White House code for “get the heck out of the Oval” https://t.co/Bgat0pkzt7
— Joe St. George (@JoeStGeorge) September 21, 2021
This is not the first time Joe Biden has been criticized for a lack of transparency.
