Psaki takes a jibe at reporter, asking why Biden isn’t holding a press conference

white House Press secretary jane saki At Thursday’s briefing a reporter was asked whether the press should expect a press conference after the president Joe BidenThe ‘Three Amigos’ summit.

‘You can ask questions in any format, right? I don’t think you need a formal embroidered chair for this,’ Psaki told CBS News Radio correspondent Steven Portnoy, who serves as president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, the group that serves the White House for journalists. Emphasizes access.

“I will be happy to answer questions after meeting with all the leaders,” Portnoy told reporters while signing a bill Thursday morning, Portnoy said.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki asked a reporter at Thursday’s briefing whether the press should expect a press conference after President Joe Biden’s ‘Three Amigos’ summit.

However, the White House broke with tradition and did not schedule a tri-lateral press conference with Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Andres Manuel López Obrador after the afternoon meeting.

Both Presidents George W Bush and Barack Obama held press conferences when they met with their Canadian and Mexican counterparts.

CBS News Radio correspondent Steven Portnoy asked Psaki about a press conference at Thursday’s briefing. He serves as president of the White House Correspondents’ Association.

Instead, journalists could shout questions during what is called ‘pool spray’, when a small group of journalists come for a portion of a meeting.

Leaders can choose to ignore or engage the press.

Earlier at the briefing, Psaki told reporters that the lack of press conferences was ‘not as reprehensible in terms of backstory’.

She said there was a ‘change in schedule’ as Biden signed three first responder-related bills on Thursday morning, booking a tri-lateral press conference after the scheduled 4:45 a.m. meeting with both López Obrador and Trudeau. stopped from happening.

Biden also has a tendency to run late, so the meeting didn’t start until 5 p.m.

In his capacity as WHCA president, Portnoy told Psaki: ‘We would like to have a press conference,’ in response to his ’embroidered chair’ remark.

Psaki was interviewed Wednesday for the Politico Women’s Rule event, where she said Biden’s lack of a press conference was more a problem for the media than the American people.

He said, ‘I think this is an issue related to the White House Press Corps … and the DC Press, it is a matter of concern to the American public.’

Psaki balked at the idea that Biden was shy in any way.

Biden avoids formal press conferences when he travels or for more casual Q&A with reporters during events.

President Joe Biden (right) meets with Mexican President Andres Manuel López Obrador (left) in the Oval Office on Thursday afternoon

Canadian President Joe Biden (right) and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (left) during a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office

When he holds a press conference, he has made it standard practice to call on a pre-determined list of journalists.

‘I would say it is every journalist’s job to push for greater reach. That is their work. And if we give access every time a journalist is interviewed or accessed we probably won’t be doing our job,’ Saki said.

He argued that the debate over press conferences is ‘misunderstood’ because ‘it is really about how any president uses their time or how they engage with the media.’

“But it is not correct to suggest that it is not accessible or does not answer questions,” she said.

She argued that Biden, in a standard press conference, can only answer 10 to 15 questions, while he answers ’20, 30 questions a week’ in more casual encounters.

Psaki also argued, “President Biden has answered questions at these events twice as much as President Trump did at this time.”