Staff Reports
President Biden expressed frustration with the White House press corps for not sticking to the topics he wanted to talk about during a recent press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the G7 summit in Italy. The President was asked about his son, Hunter Biden’s legal issues and whether Hamas was working towards a peace deal with Israel. President Biden emphasized that he was present to discuss the critical situation in Ukraine and asserted that he would be happy to provide detailed responses to off-topic questions at a later time.
This is the second time in recent weeks that the President has criticized journalists for asking questions that diverge from the main topic. During a joint press conference with Kenyan president William Ruto, President Biden had similarly expressed frustration with reporters for not sticking to the expected topics of discussion. On that occasion, he notably limited journalists to one question only and expressed irritation at an off-topic question.
The first question for Mr. Biden was about whether his son, Hunter Biden, was a political target. Hunter Biden was convicted by a federal jury earlier this week of three felonies stemming from his purchase of a gun in 2018 while addicted to crack. https://t.co/9CxfPQgZFl
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) June 14, 2024
The President’s frustration with the press corps reflects his desire for the media to adhere to the subjects he wants to address during public events. He wants to ensure that his messages about critical issues, such as the situation in Ukraine, are the primary focus of the discussions.
