During a press conference on Monday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre refuted claims that President Joe Biden is being shielded from reporters’ questions.
“Is the administration trying to protect the president from our questions? Please answer that question,” the reporter asked.
When a reporter asked if the administration was protecting the President from their inquiries, Jean-Pierre gave a clear and emphatic denial. While previous reporters had asked about the lack of formal press conferences, Jean-Pierre emphasized that the President frequently responds to reporters’ questions and has not been kept from the press.
“I have dealt with this question about three times already. I understand. It is the job of you all to ask this question to me. I totally get that. And that’s not a problem at all,” Jean-Pierre said.
Although a formal press conference was not scheduled, Jean-Pierre declined to provide further details. As the reporter persisted with their questioning, Jean-Pierre acknowledged the President’s engagement with the press, highlighting that he has taken numerous shouted questions – a practice that is unprecedented in comparison to past administrations.
“But certainly, the president, many times, has stood in front of all of you, has taken questions on his own because he wanted to see what was on your minds,” she added. “He wanted to see what the questions you all were going to ask him, and he wanted to answer them directly. That has happened multiple times, many times, during this administration.
Despite some reporters grumbling and asking more questions, Jean-Pierre remained steadfast in her response and promised to share any relevant data on the matter in the future.
“When it comes to a formal press conference, I don’t have anything to share with you at this time,” added Jean-Pierre.
