White House Briefing Explodes as Disgruntled Reporter Battles Jean-Pierre, His Colleagues and the Cast of Ted Lasso in Surreal Scene
The cast of Ted Lasso appeared at a Monday White House press briefing, but it was an angry reporter who stole the show, briefly turning the room into a shouting match between himself and his colleagues.
Today News Africa reporter Simon Ateba has made a splash during press briefings before, accusing White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre of not calling on him enough. Ateba made this accusation again on Monday.
“We’re not doing this! We’re not doing!” Jean-Pierre said as Ateba began yelling from the back of the room. The correspondent accused Jean-Pierre of purposefully ignoring him for months because she doesn’t like his questions.
Jean-Pierre, along with Jason Sudeikis and the rest of the Ted Lasso cast, silently watched on as other reporters turned on Ateba.
“That’s not right. This is not China. This is not Russia. This is the United States of America. This is the White House,” Ateba said.
“Simon, the rest of us are here too, pal!” one reporter yelled.
Another told Ateba to bring up his grievances later, but Ateba pressed on, firing responses at some of his shouting critics.
“You’re in the front row and you’ve been comfy and you get questions all the time. There are people in the back who don’t get any questions!” Ateba yelled at one point.
“Don’t make assumptions about what he rest of us do. Mind your manners when you’re in here and if you have a problem, you bring it up afterwards, but you are impinging on everybody in here who are only trying to do their jobs,” one person said to Ateba.
“Okay. Thank you. I’m saying that you shouldn’t disconnect some people because you don’t agree with their questions,” Ateba said.
Jean-Pierre offered an apology to the Lasso cast. The cast was visiting the White House to discuss mental health.
The press secretary addressed Ateba and said his behavior was “unacceptable.”
Jean-Pierre said:
As you all know, this is the White House press briefing room, an historic room, a room that should have decorum, a room where folks should respect their colleagues, and respect the guests who are here. I understand there’s going to be give and take. That’s the way the press briefing has gone for decades before me. And I will always respect that, but what I will not appreciate is disrespecting colleagues and disrespecting guests who were here to talk about an incredibly important issue, which is mental health. And what just occurred in the last 10 or 15 minutes unacceptable.
