Reporters confronted White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre at the end of Thursday’s briefing about having limited access to ask President Joe Biden questions.
A White House reporter questioned Jean-Pierre on the president’s meeting with Ireland Prime Minister Leo Varadkar on St. Patrick’s Day Friday. Reporters confronted the press secretary as she attempted to leave the briefing about the lack of press access when world leaders visit the president.
The press secretary said it is “with coordination” with the rules of visiting leaders and the press will be able to ask questions at the Oval Office. (RELATED: ‘Clearly Rigged’: White House Reporters ‘Disgusted’ By Biden Using List Of Approved Outlets)
“But he doesn’t answer questions,” one reported said.
“That’s not true, he’s answered questions,” Jean-Pierre said, following a series of shouting from a group of reporters.
“The press is always shouted down when we’re in the Oval Office,” one said.
“They always shout at us to get out,” someone else said.
“I hear you guys, I hear you guys,” Jean-Pierre chuckled. “Look, the two-plus-two is something that is done in coordination with the country that is visiting, that is not unilaterally decided, that is something that is in discussion with the other country. I was asked about the two-plus-two, I also was adding there is an opportunity where press will be in the room with the two leaders. I cannot speak to who is going to take questions and who’s not going to take questions.”
“As you know, this is a president that takes shotted questions often, but the two-plus-two is not a unilateral decision, it is a decision that happens with the visiting country in coordination with them,” she continued.
Varadkar will meet Biden at the White House for a bilateral meeting and St. Patrick’s Day celebration in observance of U.S. tradition. He is also slated to attend an annual breakfast with Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff at the Naval Observatory.
The press has repeatedly expressed their grievances to the White House press team regarding the lack of access the press is given to ask Biden questions. In June, nearly 70 White House reporters wrote a letter to Jean-Pierre demanding that the White House lift its COVID-19 restrictions and give the press increased access to the president’s events.