America First? Trump Folds to China Demand of No Questions From Reporters
During President Donald Trump’s first official visit to China, he opted to not hold a joint press conference with President Xi Jinping — breaking decades of precedent where US leaders have insisted on taking reporters’ questions in the repressive communist regime.
Per White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the traditional China-US presidential presser was not held because “it was at the Chinese insistence there were no questions today.” Traditionally, US presidents have not bent-the-knee to the anti-press demands of the Chinese government, but clearly Trump agreed to the terms.
Asked why President Trump didn’t take questions from reporters today, Sarah Sanders said, “It was at the Chinese insistence there were no questions today.”
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) November 9, 2017
For refusing to stand-up to China’s authoritarian media policies, Trump was blasted on Twitter by pundits and journalists, many pointing out this decision portrays the president — despite all his tough talk — as week and skittish compared to his predecessors:
Perhaps this is a hazard of cultivating domestic antipathy toward the press. A failure to appreciate and stand up for liberal values where they are threatened. https://t.co/V2ysKRIqAJ
— Noah Rothman (@NoahCRothman) November 9, 2017
I once had to tell Chinese officials that Pres. Obama would not show up for the press avail unless there would be a Q&A. They backed down. https://t.co/Z2LdwSYK9k
— Jay Carney (@JayCarney) November 9, 2017
The Chinese government never wants to take questions from US reporters. In the past American presidents have insisted upon it as a demonstration of standing up for the freedoms our nation believes in. 1/ https://t.co/2af9t7ArOU
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) November 9, 2017
Here’s President George W Bush with the Chinese President in Shanghai taking a couple questions https://t.co/rsEEklMSxm
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) November 9, 2017
3/ here’s President Obama and President Xi taking a couple questions in Chinahttps://t.co/NRzfCr7r5r
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) November 9, 2017
4/ there’s nothing strong about acceding to the wishes of an oppressive Communist government by going along with its contempt for freedom of the press. One can issue as many condemnations of Communism as one wants on paper; they’re meaningless if one then bows to totalitarianism.
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) November 9, 2017
5/ here’s President Bill Clinton holding a joint presser with the Chinese President at the WH, where questions came on Taiwan, human rights and Tiananmen Square. https://t.co/FfYjD6A6Pk
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) November 9, 2017
So depressing. https://t.co/xp7HTTjDIJ
— Eric Geller (@ericgeller) November 9, 2017
Kowtowing. https://t.co/wbtbfBu1Bw
— Neil King (@NKingofDC) November 9, 2017
Gibbs did the same in India. https://t.co/zTCsIRekZ7 https://t.co/nWhtbc8RjK
— Tommy Christopher (@tommyxtopher) November 9, 2017
trump cucked in china https://t.co/fCpLkU7Hlv
— John Kerr (@JohnnyHeatWave) November 9, 2017
China isn’t supposed to have a say about press access. Previous press secs used to fight with Chinese counterparts for press access when in China. Witnessed personally. https://t.co/IWMgOoy7ZB
— Chuck Todd (@chucktodd) November 9, 2017
Ahead of Asia trip some worried White House wouldn’t stand up for US Press and US Press values. Welp…—-> https://t.co/OQr7g85VaG
— jimrutenberg (@jimrutenberg) November 9, 2017
[featured image via screengrab/YouTube]
