At Thursday’s press conference, Biden took questions from 10 reporters who were apparently picked from a pre-determined list, but seemed to deliberately avoid the right-wing outlet Fox News, so Ducey, representing Fox News, did not get a chance to ask questions.
Ducey said there seems to be a pattern that from the end of the campaign, through the transition and now the White House, whenever there was an event, Biden was given a list of reporters to ask questions, but Fox was never on the list. Ducey said, “I’m just curious if that’s the official policy of the administration.”
Psaki responded, “We’re having a conversation here, aren’t we? And don’t I take your questions every Time you come to the briefing room?”
“Yes, but I’m talking about the president,” Ducey reiterated.
Psaki tried to allay the reporter’s concerns by emphasizing that she often takes questions from Ducey in the briefing room. Obviously, that was not the answer to Ducey’s question. But as Ducey’s question suggests, he was never on the list of pre-approved reporters, something Psaki did not deny.
Ducey said he could have asked Biden questions, but only after Biden had called out the entire list of pre-approved reporters, and of course there were few opportunities that way. And Psaki never answered why Fox News stayed off the pre-approved list of reporters.
After Biden’s first news conference, Ducey said on Fox News that he brought another folder full of questions last night. “I think some people are joking, I’m not joking,” Ducey said, adding that he plans to ask the president about his “big plan to transform the economy and make it all green.
On Thursday, Biden’s performance at his first official news conference was poor, despite taking questions from a handpicked and friendly group of reporters. He seemed to be reading from prepared notes to answer simple questions from friendly reporters.
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