Joe Biden annoyed with US press asking off-topic questions, Psaki says

President Biden has been annoyed with the American press asking questions that are not “on point” during recent setups with foreign leaders in the White House, press secretary Jen Psaki admitted Monday.

On Friday, questions were raised after Biden seemingly took a swipe at the US press during a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi, saying the India press is “much better behaved” than the US press corps.

“I think, with your permission, you could not answer questions because they won’t ask any questions on point,” he said.

That followed Biden snubbing the American press corps when he declined to take pool reporters’ questions during the public portion of his sit-down with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson — despite Johnson calling on two British reporters.

After a brief conversation for the cameras between the two leaders, Johnson thanked Biden for hosting him and asked: “I think — would it be OK if we just have a couple of questions? Just a — just a couple of questions.”

As soon as Johnson answered questions from two British reporters, White House aides — known as “wranglers” — began shouting and ushering reporters out of the Oval Office as they tried to ask more questions.

“That’s absurd,” one reporter groused as they left the executive mansion. “Two British reporters get questions and we don’t get anything.”

CBS News Radio White House correspondent Steven Portnoy reported that the members of the editorial pool immediately went to Psaki’s office to complain “that no American reporters were recognized for questions in the president’s Oval Office.”

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