Imagine if the Trump team did this.
Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, abruptly exited Thursday’s press briefing after a tense interaction with an African reporter who questioned why he wasn’t given the chance to ask a question. This incident underscores an ongoing dispute between Jean-Pierre and Simon Ateba of Today News Africa, who accused the White House of discrimination in June for excluding him from posing questions during briefings.
During the briefing, Ateba sought permission to ask a follow-up question about Angola after National Security Council spokesman John Kirby had addressed a different reporter’s query on another topic. Despite Ateba’s attempt to participate, Jean-Pierre, responsible for selecting reporters to pose questions, ignored him and instead chose a different journalist.
Expressing his disappointment, Ateba remarked, “It’s surprising that you don’t take a question from an African journalist.” Despite his protest, Jean-Pierre suggested ending the briefing, and as Ateba continued to voice his concerns, she abruptly left the podium, displaying apparent frustration.
Upon her exit, Jean-Pierre dismissed further questions from reporters and declared an end to the briefing. This incident follows a previous clash between Jean-Pierre and Ateba in June, during which the White House had threatened to revoke Ateba’s press privileges after a heated exchange. In that encounter, Jean-Pierre accused Ateba of rudeness and warned of ending the briefing if he didn’t comply with the established protocol. Ateba later shared a letter from Jean-Pierre’s office on social media, reprimanding him for the interruption.
WATCH:
Karine Jean-Pierre cuts off briefing because of African reporter pic.twitter.com/HGuhLqQg4s
— HOT SPOT (@HotSpotHotSpot) December 1, 2023