President Joe Biden is facing more criticism from the media over his availability to the press.
In an editorial published on Monday, The Washington Post’s editorial board took Biden to task for the few number of solo press conferences he has held so far in his presidency.
“President Biden hasn’t dropped the microphone; he appears to have lost it. Mr. Biden is turning into a news media evader, and it’s harmful to his presidency and the nation,” the column stated as it noted Presidents Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan are the only occupants of the White House in the last 100 years to average fewer press conferences than Biden.
It pointed out the president has not held a press conference by himself so far in 2023.
He has held two joint-press conferences with foreign leaders. However, the Post argued, “It should not take a visit from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau or South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol for the American public to hear the president answering urgent questions from a free press.”
It added:
“Presidents also typically interact informally with the media, answering a few questions on the way to an event. Mr. Biden doesn’t do many of those exchanges either, according to the American Presidency Project tracker.”
Biden is turning into a news media evader, and it’s harmful to his presidency and the nation, the Editorial Board writes. https://t.co/hWr6N2gj4t
— Washington Post Opinions (@PostOpinions) May 9, 2023
The column noted Biden even joked about how seldom he answers reporters’ questions during the White House Correspondents Dinner.
“The president and his team promised transparency. Instead, he is stonewalling the media,” the Post charged.
The column went on, “It happened again on Monday. Mr. Biden appeared alongside Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to brief reporters on new efforts to force airlines to compensate passengers when a flight is canceled. As soon as his remarks ended, Mr. Biden turned and walked off, ignoring questions from reporters.”
“This comes after the president claimed Friday that he was doing a ‘major press conference’ that evening. In reality, he was doing an MSNBC interview,” it added.
On Friday, Biden appeared to announce a previously un-scheduled press conference as he said, “I’m doing a major press conference this afternoon, so I love you all, but I’d like to ask you to leave.”
He then told reporters he would answer their questions later.
However, White House staffers clarified the president was talking about his interview with MSNBC.
The Post added, “Taking questions from the media promotes public accountability. It also shows that the president is willing to defend his positions and instills confidence that he can do the job. It is widely known that Mr. Biden is gaffe-prone and that news conferences are not his forte. But as he runs for a second term, he should be eager to show he can handle all aspects of the job.”
“Pick up the microphone, Mr. President. The media is not your enemy,” it concluded.
