Reporters at the White House press briefing on Thursday were increasingly frustrated as they continuously pressed White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on why President Joe Biden will not hold a press conference during his upcoming meeting with world leaders.
The press secretary was confronted by CBS News senior White House correspondent Ed O’Keefe on why the press cannot witness the bilateral meetings Biden will attend with the heads of Australia, India, and Japan for his final “Quad” summit at his home in Delaware on Saturday.
Jean-Pierre defended the president’s decision and his lack of a press conference during an important event pertaining to foreign policy, before being interrupted by Newsmax White House correspondent James Rosen.
O’Keefe questioned Jean-Pierre on why the press was not allowed to witness these important meetings, to which she responded, “It was important to him to have these personal touches, to do something that he hadn’t done before. But there’s going to be plenty of opportunities. … Can you also appreciate that we have created other opportunities?” Rosen then interrupted, stating that these opportunities were only “photo ops” and not press conferences, to which O’Keefe added that it was confusing given Biden’s commitment to transparency and freedom of the press.
“What I was going to suggest is, it baffles people in this room, especially people who are watching this and wondering why we harp on these kinds of things,” O’Keefe said. “What baffles us is this is a president who, from day one, committed to being the most transparent president possible, who has given speeches at various events saying that he stands for and respects the freedom of the press. And here is a great opportunity while standing with the leader from the world’s largest democracy, India, and two other key democracies who are from a region of the world who is struggling to maintain democracy. Why not face questions from reporters of the free press in that setting?”
Jean-Pierre responded by saying it is “not unusual” to not hold a press conference when world leaders visit the U.S. She also snapped at Rosen when he attempted to speak again, saying, “Excuse me, I’m not speaking to you, I really am not. Let me have my conversation with Ed, thank you.” She added that there are many other opportunities for reporters to be present during the “Quad” summit, and even suggested that photo ops can be a positive thing.
However, the frustration from the reporters was palpable as they continued to push for a press conference. O’Keefe pointed out that it was important for the press to have access to the president during these significant international meetings, and that it was part of their job to ask tough questions. Rosen also chimed in, stating that the press would prefer a press conference over a mere photo op as it would allow them to ask meaningful questions.
Prior to this, Jean-Pierre had stated that the conference would be held at a later date, but did not give a specific timeframe. This only added to the reporters’ frustration as they expressed concern over the lack of transparency and access to the president.
The White House has been under scrutiny in recent weeks for its lack of press conferences and transparency, with many wondering why President Biden has yet to hold a formal, on-camera press conference since taking office. This frustration was evident during the press briefing as reporters pushed for answers and pressed the press secretary to explain the reasoning behind the decision to not hold a press conference during such an important diplomatic event.
Jean-Pierre attempted to move on to other questions, but the reporters were not satisfied with the lack of a clear answer. This raises questions about the Biden administration’s commitment to transparency and whether or not they will continue to hold press conferences in the future. As of now, it remains unclear when and if President Biden will hold a formal press conference, leaving the press and the public in the dark about the administration’s plans and decisions. Only time will tell if these concerns will be addressed and if the administration will prioritize communication with the press and the public.