US President Joe Biden has been criticized for appearing to have pre-informed about questions at the press conference with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. Biden has been spotted making detailed notes at press events in the past, conservative news outlet Fox News noted.
This time, however, the president took it a step further by prescribing journalists’ questions, Fox alleged. However, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre made it clear yesterday that the President does not get journalists’ questions beforehand.
Photos from the press conference with Yoon during the state visit on Wednesday gave rise to the speculation. They show Biden holding a note with a picture of a journalist from the Los Angeles Times newspaper, her name and questions.
Jean-Pierre said it is the job of the White House press office to brief the president on any questions he may have before a news conference. “It’s our job to get a sense of what you want to ask him, what’s the news of the day and what topics you’re interested in,” Jean-Pierre said to journalists in attendance at the daily White House news briefing.
They want to make sure that the information they release is helpful to the press and the American people. The question Biden was asked at the end was different than the one on the leaflet, Jean-Pierre said.