A slip by President Biden at the G-7 summit Sunday may have revealed just how carefully his staff try to handle the commander in chief when he faces questions from the media.
Biden cracked that he’d get “in trouble” with his handlers if he failed to take questions from just the pre-planned list of reporters at his news conference at the end of the three-day world leaders meeting G-7 summit in Britain on Sunday — or if he took one too many.
“I’m sorry, I’m going to get in trouble with staff if I don’t do this the right way,” Biden said after calling on Bloomberg News reporter Jennifer Jacobs.
After making introductory remarks, the president kicked off the question-and-answer section of the presser by saying he was supposed to go to Jonathan Lemire of the Associated Press.
“Now, why don’t I take some of your questions? And I’m told, Jonathan, I’m supposed to talk — recognize you first,” he said.
Then at the conclusion of the news conference, Biden was walking away from the lectern when a reporter said he wanted to ask about his relationship with European allies.
“I’m going to get in trouble with my staff. Yeah, go ahead. But pretend that I didn’t answer you,” Biden said, chuckling.
The question posed was about why he still continued the steel and aluminum sanctions imposed by the former Trump administration and what he planned to do about them.
Biden responded: “A hundred and twenty days. Give me a break. Need time,” before walking off.
It was reminiscent of Biden telling members of the media that “I’m not supposed to be answering all these questions” last month following White House meetings on the coronavirus vaccine and the infrastructure plan.
That exchange came a week after White House press secretary Jen Psaki admitted that she doesn’t like Biden to spend too much time with the media.
“He takes questions nearly every day he’s out from the press,” Psaki said on a podcast in May. “That is not something we recommend. In fact, a lot of times, we say, ‘Don’t take questions.’ But he’s going to do what he wants to do because he’s the president of the United States.”
In March, White House aides hurried the press corps away when they began shouting questions to Biden during a trip to a Washington, DC, business that had benefited from his extension of the Paycheck Protection Program.
At the time, the president had yet to hold a solo press conference.
“Come on, press, you gotta go,” aides shouted at a gaggle of reporters.
He held his first solo press briefing later that month.
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