(PatriotWise.com) — The White House was forced to issue a correction after press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that President Biden has taken more questions from the media than Presidents Obama and Trump combined. During a press conference on Air Force One, reporters pushed Jean-Pierre on the point and asked for clarification on how she came to that conclusion. She was asked if she was referring to the number of questions the President answered or the combined time used in answering those questions. “It’s questions… I just said questions,” she replied.
In the exchange transcript, however, “questions” is replaced with “question and answer sessions.” The transcript was also amended to add “in the first 20 months of their presidencies” to her claim that Biden had taken more questions than Obama, Trump, and even George W. Bush.
Jean-Pierre has found herself in awkward positions as reporters query the lack of interaction with the President. At a White House briefing in April, she was asked, “Is the administration trying to protect the President from our questions? Please answer that question.” She replied, “Absolutely not.” She defended Biden saying that, unlike most Presidents, he answers “shouted questions” and regularly wants to speak to the press to learn what is on the reporters’ minds.
When Irish leader Leo Varadkar visited the White House on St. Patrick’s Day, Biden refused to hold a formal press conference. After brief remarks from both leaders in the Oval Office, reporters were rushed from the room even though they had been promised an opportunity to pose questions.
When the US withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021, Biden reacted angrily when grilled about it. The White House press conference occurred just before the July 4th weekend and Biden, seemingly annoyed at the questions, told reporters he wanted to talk about happy things. He also said he would be asked the same questions the following week and would be obliged to address the same issues again.
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