The White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) issued a statement responding to President Biden snapping at a reporter for asking an off-topic question at the G-7 Summit in Italy.
The president signed a 10-year agreement with Ukraine to continue providing military equipment for its ongoing war with Russia Thursday. At the news conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Biden announced they would take two questions from American reporters and two from Ukraine.
When Bloomberg’s Josh Wingrove got to ask his question, he shifted the topic to U.S. efforts in the Israel-Gaza war, which chaffed Biden.
“I wish you guys would play by the rules a little bit. I’m here to talk about a critical situation in Ukraine. You’re asking another subject. I’ll be happy to answer in detail later, but the bottom line is that we made an agreement [in regard to Gaza],” Biden responded.
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Before Wingrove, Biden called on a reporter from The Associated Press, who not only asked about expanding the parameters on U.S. weapons into Russia, but also about Biden’s son Hunter.
The WHCA subsequently put out a statement defending the independence of the free press to ask questions.
“The White House Correspondents’ Association believes it is in the public interest to make clear that at a presidential press conference, at home or abroad, there are no preconditions regarding question topics,” the statement read. “While the White House does determine the number of reporters the president will recognize, it is up to professional journalists to decide what to ask.”
It continued, “Any leader may prefer that reporters ask only one question or ask only about a topic that is of most interest to the president or another world leader, but a free press functions independently. WHCA would welcome more opportunities to pose a range of questions to the president in a press conference setting.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
Biden has shown hostility to the press during his time in office, particularly to journalists asking off-the-cuff or controversial questions.
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In February, Biden grew visibly angry during a last-minute evening White House press conference to address Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report that cast doubt on the president’s mental fitness.
“Many [of the] American people have been watching, and they have expressed concerns about your age,” CNN correspondent MJ Lee said.
“That is your judgment!” Biden shouted at her. “That is your judgment! That is not the judgment of the press.”
The White House has been accused of pre-screening reporters and questions for the president ahead of news conferences in the past.
A photographer captured a small cheat-sheet in the president’s hand during his press conference with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in April 2023.
The small piece of paper included a photo of L.A. Times journalist Courtney Subramanian along with the pronunciation breakdown of her last name. “Question #1” was handwritten at the top of the sheet, indicating the president should call on her first at the conclusion of his remarks.
“How are YOU squaring YOUR domestic priorities — like reshoring semiconductors manufacturing — with alliance-based foreign policy?” read the question in Biden’s hand.
