April Ryan Says There’s Always Backlash to Pushing White Elected Officials: ‘For Instance, I Haven’t Got an Interview With President Biden Yet’

Veteran White House correspondent April D. Ryan told radio host Dean Obeidallah that President Joe Biden has yet to give her an interview, and…

On Friday’s edition of The Dean Obeidallah Show, the host asked Ryan about

Obeidallah asked Ryan, White House correspondent for The Grio, CNN political analyst, and the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Journalist of the Year for 2017, about the backlash a White House reporter can experience when pushing too hard for answers from “a White elected official,” saying you can “lose access.”

“That’s true,” said Ryan. She noted that it can depend on who that official may be, and that some are more extreme than others, but also pointed out that her experience as a Black woman can be different from “many in that [briefing] room, that room that’s predominantly White.”

My backlash may be a lot different than others,” she said. “For instance, I haven’t gotten an interview with the president of the United States yet.”

A surprised Obeidallah replied, “President Biden??” And after Ryan confirmed that is who she meant, he added, “do you know why?”

“Hmmmm,” said Ryan in a exaggerated tone implying that they both know the reason. “You tell me why.”

OBEIDALLAH: If you push too hard on, say, a White elected official, then you lose access, that – there’s a backlash.

RYAN: That’s true. That– there’s always a backlash. Now, the intensity of the backlash depends upon, I guess, who the person is. Because we’ve seen extremes when it comes to that. But no, there’s always this fear then, especially for someone like me, who is not only a black woman, but someone from a network or a. Entity, a news entity that they don’t perceive as mainstream.

There is a thought that, Oh, I can do whatever you want to do. No, no, no, no. The strength of standing in the pressroom comes from, or in the press, comes from intrinsically understanding who I am, how I show up in this nation, you know. Understanding that helps me navigate that world. So a win for me and for the people who trust me, read me, watch me, listen to me. It’s a win if I can show up authentically me, and still ask the questions, but understanding I have to navigate. My navigation is different from many of those who are in that room, that room that’s predominantly white. My backlash may be a lot different than others, you know.

For instance, I haven’t gotten an interview with the president of the United States yet.

OBEIDALLAH: President Biden?

RYAN: That’s the President.

OBEIDALLAH: Do you know why?

RYAN: Hmm, you tell me.

OBEIDALLAH: I don’t know!

RYAN: It might be because of what you said!

OBEIDALLAH: I don’t know why. I mean…

RYAN: It might be along that line of what you said.

OBEIDALLAH: That surprises me!

RYAN: Why does it surprise… I ask the tough questions, and I know I know a lot of times the answers. And sometimes if the answers are not where I know they are, I may challenge, and some people get upset. Some people are like hmm, you know? You know, I guess I– I’m doing my job.

Watch the clip above, via The Dean Obeidallah Show on SiriusXM.