White House Reporters: Biden Team Wanted Our Questions in Advance

What are we? Two weeks in now? And here's Jen Psaki not-answering questions from White House reporters. Her favorite phrase seems to be "circle back" - fancy speak for "I don't know".

Like her not, believe them or not, at least Kayleigh McEnany could flip to her notes and come up with an actual answer to every question instead of promising to "circle back" in the future.

But now, we have this piece in The Daily Beast where White House reporters are admitting that White House staff wanted their questions in advance.

If you’re a reporter with a tough question for the White House press secretary, Joe Biden’s staff wouldn’t mind knowing about it in advance.

According to three sources with knowledge of the matter, as well as written communications reviewed by The Daily Beast, the new president’s communications staff have already on occasion probed reporters to see what questions they plan on asking new White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki when called upon during briefings.

Of course, the reporters are sensitive to the perception that this may make them look like they're carrying the White House's water while they carry the White House's water, so they were a little put off by it. I mean, really! How can we appear to have a free press if they let the White House pick and choose the questions?

Biden’s press team did not deny that staffers had solicited questions from reporters. But the White House contended that it has tried to foster a better relationship with the press corps than the previous administration, and has tried to reach out to reporters directly in order to avoid appearing to dodge questions during briefings.

So the White House is admitting that Jen Psaki is lousy at figuring out what questions she might be asked on her own and needs a crib sheet so she can prepare. Otherwise, she has to "circle back". Is she really so out of touch with the news cycle that she has no idea what the top stories are so that she can prepare herself on all angles of them? Or does she think she'll be asked if Uncle Joe ate chocolate or tapioca pudding before his afternoon nappies?

They go on to explain that in the past, it was not unheard of for Press Secretaries to ask the general gist of questioning before high profile briefings or events for cabinet secretaries or to hold informal gaggles with reporters to get an idea what topics were most important. Of course none of these were to ask for specific questions, just to get general ideas what topics were best to be most prepared for.

a reply to: ketsuko

The Dems are a disgusting dumpster fire.
She has to circle back because nobody can understand Joe’s gobbledygook positions on real topics.
13 days in and the failure is well underway.

a reply to: ketsuko

I saw this. My first thought was that of course they need the questions in advance in order to write up an answer for Joe to read off the teleprompter. I hate to say it, but I honestly don't think Biden is still capable (at least not always capable) of responding spontaneously.

His handlers don't seem to think so. For whatever reason.

a reply to: ketsuko

They want the questions in advance because they don't want to take the chance of telling the truth.

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: ketsuko

They want the questions in advance because they don't want to take the chance of telling the truth.

Or getting caught in a lie.
And the lies are numerous from them.

a reply to: ketsuko

Scripted answers, to scripted questions for a scripted president. Seems fitting.

This incident is the perfect example of how the dems operate. This is how they want the world to be. This is how they need the world to be. No freedom of speech, no freedom of the press, no open exchange of ideas. Those pesky freedoms interfere with the building of their utopia. "Delusional" doesn't even begin to describe them.

If CHINA or MEXICO or CANADA or RUSSIA want to take the USA...

Now's the time!

Psaki has got to be about the dumbest and least prepared, poorly spoken, and just generally AWFUL press secretary in the history of press secretaries!! Plus, she comes off as a smarmy condescending little B!TCH too!

I've never seen a press secretary I disliked more than her, and it was almost instant with me too. I genuinely wanted to hear what she had to say...and it was absolutely ZERO!

She's completely unprepared, doesn't know a damn thing and acts like her backside doesn't stink!

Just another brick in the wall!

ETA - Never heard a press secretary for a prominent figure say "ah", "err", "uh" as much as she does!! Never! She would not only flunk Toastmasters, they'd throw her the hell out of the building! She's THAT bad!!

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
Plus, she comes off as a smarmy condescending little B!TCH too!

I 'felt' that post.

My money is on tapioca, but only if he finishes his grilled cheese and tomato soup FIRST without throwing a crying fit.😢

I wonder how long he had to train to run 20' across that stage to the podium to show he was "fit" for duty...🤔🤦🏾‍♂️

Gotta admit.. President Trump did foment a raising of the bar for journalism. I doubt it will hold for very long but it's presently refreshing that folks are being called on their sh!t. 💯

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Biden’s incoherent policies are utter sh!t to begin with, so her stuttering and stammering is a by product of that incoherence.
When she doesn’t understand what his position is on different topics, she cannot possibly give a straight answer on any of them.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

This is the truth but the propaganda arm of the DNC, the MSM, will tell everyone that Psaki is the most popular press secretary ever while fawning over her "class and grace".

The US and the world is in serious trouble with these far-left, extremists steering the ship.

originally posted by: Snarl

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
Plus, she comes off as a smarmy condescending little B!TCH too!

I 'felt' that post.

Please don’t sully the name of band camp by associating her with us. We band geeks would never put up with that vapid Raggedy Ann.

My husband points out that the main press person during the campaign who worked overtime to make it seem like Biden was not mentally deficient was dumped like a sack of potatoes for Psaki, an Obama holdover.

a reply to: ketsuko

Can we “circle back” to Burisma and $ paid by foreign interests to the Biden clan?

Can we circle back to that?

originally posted by: RazorV66
a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Biden’s incoherent policies are utter sh!t to begin with, so her stuttering and stammering is a by product of that incoherence.
When she doesn’t understand what his position is on different topics, she cannot possibly give a straight answer on any of them.

Excellent point, logical and highly plausible.

It's either that or she's out of her depth and simply trying to survive every engagement until she can find her footing but I like your take better.

The questions asked of a president before Trump took office were always approved ahead of time by the people running the show. What Biden's team was doing is back to normal. Reporters got away with asking unauthorized questions during Trumps time on the hill, that would never have been allowed under Obama or even Bush and surely not under Clintons time with lewinski.

Pre-screening questions is a direct assualt on freedom of the press. The White House response doesn't deny they're involved in pre-screening,

Getting rough precis of what rough topic an interview is about is standard practice to avoid providing misleading stats and data; but tough questions are always asked last in interviews (so if the person walks out, there's still the rest of the interview)

In practice pre-screening means lawyers and PR agents ween out decent questions and replace what is left with pre-scripted state propaganda masquerading as journalism.