Awkward Moment as White House Staff Cuts Off Biden-Johnson Meeting in Mid-Sentence
01:04 GMT 22.09.2021 (Updated: 15:15 GMT 28.05.2023)
© REUTERS / EVELYN HOCKSTEIN
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Biden hosted Johnson at the White House shortly after the meeting of the UN General Assembly. At the meeting, they stressed how the UK-US partnership is "unrivaled in its scale and steadfastness," and discussed the AUKUS defense pact, the free travel of vaccinated Britons to the US, climate change, and girls' education.
White House staff abruptly interrupted the meeting between the British prime minister and the US president in the Oval Office by shouting over Boris Johnson as they tried to get media out of the room.
As Johnson was trying to finish his thought, repeating "That's the-" a couple of times, White House staff began to expel the assembled journalists from the Oval Office, persistently and rather loudly thanking them for their work.
Johnson became a little confused (who wouldn't be?) by the commotion that had begun, but with typical British stoicism, accepted the way the conversation ended.
Biden seemingly ignored the fuss and buzz as he calmly looked around the room for a few moments.
MOMENTS AGO: Staff orders news media to leave The White House as UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks mid-sentence pic.twitter.com/MXg2m0o1hq
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) September 21, 2021
The footage went viral on social media, with users sarcastically suggesting the meeting had to be interrupted due to the fact that the US president "fell asleep again."
Despite all the ruckus, Johnson seemed pleased with the meeting, and reinforced his laudation of the friendship with the United States with a happy photo with Biden.
The UK and US are staunch allies and the closest of partners.
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) September 21, 2021
We will stand side-by-side to protect our people and defend our values around the world.
🇬🇧🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/XeRm5KXAhs
According to correspondents present at the meeting, Biden was asked about the ongoing crisis at the US southern border, and his answer was continuously interrupted by the staff asking everyone to leave the room.
The president appeared to remark, "Violence is not justified," but the remainder of his statement was incomprehensible, according to The Daily Mail.
After they were rushed out of the Oval Office, frustrated reporters filed a formal complaint to White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki. However, her only reaction was that "the president takes questions several times a week."
