‘How Does He Say That?’ Psaki Pressed on Biden Dinging the Media, Not Taking Questions in Oval Office
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki faced a multitude of questions on Monday about President Joe Biden’s comments on the media and his apparent reluctance to engage with the press.
As Psaki held her White House press briefing, she was asked about how Biden spoke about the media last week during an Oval Office sit-down with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. During this meeting, Biden said that “the Indian press is much better behaved than the American press,” and he also told Modi “you could not answer questions because they won’t ask any questions on point.”
Asked to explain why Biden did that, Psaki said the president was speaking to the tendency for reporters to ask him questions about matters separate from the topic of the present moment.
“I know that isn’t something anyone wants to hear in here,” Psaki said, “[but] I don’t think it was meant to be a hard cut at members of the media.”
This was a recurring topic for Psaki, for another reporter followed up by noting Biden’s comments came days after the press pool was abruptly thrown out of his meeting with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
“Is the president reticent to take questions when he’s sitting next to a foreign leader in the Oval Office?” the reporter asked.
Psaki countered that Biden “took questions earlier that day,” and has answered questions next to foreign leaders “many, many times in the past and will continue to.”
Biden’s comments to Modi came up a third time as a reporter noted that India is ranked 142nd on the World Press Freedom Index compared to the U.S., which stands at 44th place. To that point, Psaki was asked, “How does he say that about the U.S. press compared to the Indian press?”
Psaki answered by insisting Biden respects the role of the free press, and she pointed to the White House’s various coordinations with the media.
“I think that should speak to his commitment to freedom of press around the world,” she said.
Watch above.
