As mock reporters shouted questions at him, President Biden appeared before them during a meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog at The White House on Wednesday.
Biden hosted the Israeli president during a bilateral meeting held in Washington to announce a new agreement. Both leaders, sitting opposite one another, turned their attention toward reporters at the back of the room after the meeting ended. As a noisy press corps shouted at them, the two men sat silently.
Biden was seen mimicking reporters by raising his eyebrows and moving his mouth to imitate talking. Before reporters were led out, Biden was seen laughing and slapping the floor.
Nancy Cook, a Bloomberg White House correspondent, vented on Twitter just moments before that the White House was “particularly intent” to keep the press from Biden as November’s midterms are only days away.
She wrote that “The Biden-WH seems particularly intent to the press not asking any questions of POTUS fourteen days before the midterms. With WH aides screaming in front of reporters who attempt to ask Biden Q’s following each event today, she said.”
Although the practice of asking questions is common in public appearances with the president, Biden expressed frustration with this dynamic in the past.
Biden ended his remarks at an October event and appeared to subtly snipe about the assembled media as they shouted at him, while he was escorted from the room.
Biden said, “[You are] among the only press in the world who does this.”
During his presidency, Biden was accused of being hostile to the press multiple times.
He is known to talk down to journalists and has called a female reporter a child. Kelly O’Donnell was once described as a “pain-in-the-neck” by Oval Office staff for a question on a vaccine mandate. Fox News’ Peter Doocy was once called a “stupid boy of a b —-.””.
Biden also snapped at the reporter when he was asked in June about economists warning of a recession.
“Not all of them are saying that. Okay? Biden stated, “Now you sound like a Republican politician.” “I was laughing, that was a joke.
Biden was critical of Kaitlan Collins, CNN’s anchor when she suggested that he believed Russian President Vladimir Putin would change his malign behavior.
Biden was leaving a press conference and looked at Collins, saying, “I don’t believe he will change his behavior.” How in the world, what are you doing all the time?
