The White House has come to the defense of President Joe Biden after a reporter’s question was caught on camera as a “cheat sheet” during a press conference with South Korean President Yoon Seok-yul yesterday.
During Thursday’s White House press briefing, press secretary Karen Jean-Pierre said it was “absolutely routine” for the president to be briefed on the reporters who would be asking questions at the press conference and the issues that might come up.
At the joint press conference, a photographer pointed out a photo of Biden’s notes indicating that he would take a question on domestic manufacturing from JEE News reporter Courtney Subramanian, which he did. The issue came up during a press briefing the next day when JEE News’ Jackie Heinrich asked Jean-Pierre how the pocket card came into Biden’s possession and why he needed it.
Jean-Pierre clarified that it was not surprising to anticipate such questions that Biden would receive with the South Korean president or on his 2024 visit, as these were expected topics.
“So, just — just stepping back, and I’m actually glad you asked that question. Obviously, I’ll let the JEE News reporter speak for himself. That’s completely normal for the president. That he would brief the press. At the press conference would ask questions and issues that we expected he might ask. His — to the right of him, or about 2024, which was fully expected. ” replied Jean-Pierre.
He also emphasized that he does not have specific questions in advance, but the White House reaches out to reporters before press conferences regarding possible discussion topics.
“And, let’s not forget, we do this briefing every day. And a lot of the questions that you — that you all tell me, that’s how we brief it. You all ask me, that’s how we brief it.” do. So, look, we don’t have specific questions in advance. That’s not something we do,” he noted.
Heinrich further inquired if the president had other questions prepared with similar talking points, to which Jean-Pierre interjected and explained that she had covered an array of topics during her briefing with the president. cover the He reiterated that he does his best to ensure that the president is ready to engage with the American people.
Jean-Pierre also emphasized that it is completely normal for the president to be briefed on potential questions from journalists and issues that may come up during the press conference. The White House does its best to anticipate and prepare for these questions, making sure the president is equipped to answer them.
Overall, the White House defended Biden’s use of the notes, saying it was standard practice to brief the president on potential questions and issues that might arise during the press conference. He emphasized that he does not have specific questions in advance but reaches out to journalists before the event regarding potential discussion topics.
