White House: Biden Not Getting Pre-Approved Questions From Reporters
© AP Photo / Evan Vucci
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WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - President Joe Biden is not getting questions from reporters that are pre-approved ahead of his news conferences, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said.
"We do not have specific questions in advance, that is not something that we do," Jean-Pierre said during a Thursday briefing.
Jean-Pierre made the comment in response to outcry that Biden is receiving pre-approved questions from reporters after a photographer captured a small note in Biden's hand during a joint conference with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, which revealed he was aware about a question from a Los Angeles Times reporter.
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The Los Angeles Times denied submitting questions to the president in advance, as did Jean-Pierre.
"I would point out, the question that was asked was different that was on the card that you all saw," she said.
Jean-Pierre said it is "absolutely normal" for the relevant White House staff to brief the president about reporters who are attending conferences and the possible questions from them.
"It is not surprising that yesterday we would anticipate questions that he did receive on the visit of the South Korean president, with the South Korean president standing to his right, or about 2024 - that was completely expected, or about the debt ceiling," she said.
Jean-Pierre also said the White House staff was trying to choose media outlets who previously did not have a chance to ask questions. "We picked the Los Angeles Times, which has not gotten a question in some time," she added.
Biden's use of notes during pressers has repeatedly sounded alarms among conservative lawmakers who've used the opportunity to question whether the president was mentally fit to execute his duties, especially as he's launched a 2024 bid. At age 80, Biden is the oldest president to serve in office.
