Fox News reported on the chaos that occurred in the Oval Office while Joe Biden’s aides attempted to silence reporters who were trying to ask him questions about policies that have created problems at the southern border and with America’s allies.
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson answered questions from reporters after he shared a conversation with Joe Biden, 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.
Ed O’Keefe, a a witness and reporter for CBS described the incident on Twitter.
“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,” posted the journalist on social media.
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
“As we were leaving, I asked the president for his reaction to the situation on the southern border. Due to shouting by White House aides, the noise of everyone leaving, and the president wearing his mask, we could not make out his answer,” he added in another tweet.
O’Keefe reported later that he could understand Biden saying “violence is not justified” but could not determine anything else that Joe Biden said in response to the questions during the chaos.
Seung Min Kim from the Washington simply posted “Not good, folks.” in response to the reporters being quickly escorted out of the Oval Office.
Not good, folks https://t.co/9mN15mZL9y
— Seung Min Kim (@seungminkim) September 21, 2021
Andrew Restuccia, a reporter from the Wall Street Journal wrote; “A chaotic scene in the Oval Office today as Boris Johnson unexpectedly took questions from British reporters, and White House aides shouted over American reporters as we tried to ask Biden questions.”
A chaotic scene in the Oval Office today as Boris Johnson unexpectedly took questions from British reporters, and White House aides shouted over American reporters as we tried to ask Biden questions https://t.co/2wus2ilX0F
— Andrew Restuccia (@AndrewRestuccia) September 21, 2021
“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
Some journalists wrote about a possible double-standard.
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
It was reported that Joe Biden’s inaudible answers were made worse by being muffled by a mask.
Once the signal was loudly and insistently given for the press to leave, Biden seemed to give an answer to @edokeefe.
But it is lost to history.
No one could hear what he said beneath his mask. https://t.co/c8U1Z4le6r
— Steven Portnoy (@stevenportnoy) September 21, 2021
The press pool reportedly filed a complaint with the office of White House Press Secretary, Jen Psaki in response to how they were treated during the incident.
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.
