White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki allowed Today News Africa correspondent Simon Ateba to ask a question after he cut in on another reporter, and a week after Psaki shut him out for doing the same thing.
During Thursday’s briefing, Ateba cut in after Psaki called on Brazilian correspondent Raquel Krahenbuhl, and after several attempts to quiet him, Psaki relented and took Ateba’s question:
MS. PSAKI: Can — can we let — can we let Raquel — Simon, Simon, Simon –MR. ATEBA: I have been trying to ask a question for one –MS. PSAKI: Simon, I’m trying to answer your question. And then I’m going to go to Raquel, okay? Let me –MS. KRAHENBUHL: Thank you so much, Jen, for –MS. PSAKI: Can I say one thing, Raquel, and then I’ll go to you?MS. KRAHENBUHL: Sure.MS. PSAKI: Simon, we’re evaluating every single day. We don’t want these to be permanent measures –MR. ATEBA: Jen, can I ask my question?MS. PSAKI: — and it is something that the President is getting updates from his COVID team every single day on.MR. ATEBA: So — so, my question is: The Omicron variant is now in 57 countries. The WHO issued a statement today and said that Africa has 46 percent of the nearly 1,000 cases globally. But 70 — almost 70 countries in the world have imposed travel ban on
only Black African nation.And the U.S. is among the countries that have imposed sanctions on only eight African nations, when the virus — when the variant is in 57 countries. Why don’t you just lift it or impose sanctions on all the countries that have it? What would you say to those who believe that this is a racist ban that targets only African and Black African nations?MS. PSAKI: Simon, I would convey to you that is absolutely not the intention. That is not our policy. This was a recommendation of the health and medical experts because there were a large number of cases in South Africa. And they made a decision early on, out of an abundance of caution and to protect the American people, to slow the spread of the variant.This is not meant to be permanent. It’s not meant to be a punishment. And we are evaluating every single day decisions on whether to — when to lift these restrictions.
Ateba is now 2 for 3 in getting a question in when someone else was called on. Psaki shut him down last Thursday, but the day before that, when Psaki called on a different reporter, Ateba horned in and got Dr. Anthony Fauci to respond to him.
Watch above via C-Span.