A co-host of ABC’s “The View” is suggesting White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre should take questions from a reporter she has skipped over if she answers questions from a Fox News reporter.
On Tuesday, the co-hosts of “The View” discussed the chaotic moment from Monday when Today News Africa’s Simon Ateba disrupted the press briefing to call out Jean-Pierre for not calling on him.
Sunny Hostin argued, “If you’re going to call on Doocy from Fox News, which is just infotainment, then you should call on [Ateba] as well.”
She claimed Fox News’ Peter Doocy “started out respectful” but has “escalated.”
Before she could elaborate on her statement about Doocy, Alyssa Farah Griffin said, “There’s gotta be some decorum.”
“By the way, this guy tweets at me all the time,” she continued, adding, “He’s a big watcher of the ‘The View’ and not a fan.”
Joy Behar suggested, “Let’s say hi to Simon Ateba!”
Watch the video below:
“You have to look at your behavior, sir.”
Whoopi scolds Today News Africa’s Simon Ateba for confronting Karine Jean Pierre for not calling on him.
Alyssa Farah Griffin says he needs to show “decorum.”
Where was this when Trump’s press secretaries were berated by a hostile press? pic.twitter.com/EzvDNyZrrl— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) March 21, 2023
Griffin went on to state Ateba could have made his point about Jean-Pierre not taking his questions for months.
However, she suggested he should have moved on and added, “You don’t get to filibuster the entire briefing.”
Still, Sara Haines pointed out Ateba was interviewed by Fox News’ Tucker Carlson and noted when the White House has hosted other visitors, including from Africa, he has been passed over during those briefings.
“So I do think there might be something here,” she said.
However, Whoopi Goldberg countered, “You have to look at your behavior, sir.”
“Because nobody wants to be jumped. Nobody wants to be jumped up there. The gig is tough enough,” she added.
Before Monday’s press briefing got underway, Ateba accused Jean-Pierre of discriminating against him and “making a mockery of the First Amendment.”
His outburst led several reporters to express their frustration with the disruption. And they urged him to take up his issue with the press secretary at a different time.