President Joe Biden will not hold a press conference while in Ireland, the White House confirmed Tuesday.
The announcement comes just one day after reporters blasted White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre for the president’s continuous refusal to take questions. It has been many months since Biden held a formal press conference, and reporters have questioned whether White House staff are intentionally protecting him from the press.
It is extremely common for U.S. presidents to hold joint press conferences when they are hosting or visiting a foreign head of state, but he will not do so during this week’s trip to Ireland.
“Any chance you have reconsidered your decision not to have a press conference while you’re in Ireland?” a reporter asked Tuesday.
WHITE HOUSE’S KARINE JEAN-PIERRE STUMBLES WHEN PRESSED ON BIDEN ABSENCE AT KING CHARLES’ CORONATION
“As you know, the president regularly takes questions from the press informally as well [as] at different locations and in different formats. Right before he got on Air Force One, he took about five very newsy questions,” Jean-Pierre responded.
“So, that’s a no on a press conference?” the reporter pushed.
“There will not be a press conference on this trip,” Jean-Pierre confirmed.
Jean-Pierre denied Monday that the administration has been “trying to protect” Biden from the media by preventing him from answering its questions.
“Is the administration trying to protect the president from our questions? Please answer that question,” one reporter asked.
“Absolutely not. Absolutely not,” Jean-Pierre replied before the two of them began speaking over one another.
“I’ll say this: It is also unprecedented that a president takes as many shouted questions as this president has, and he has,” Jean-Pierre said, causing reporters across the room to erupt in apparent disagreement.
Jean-Pierre laughed at the response and said, “OK, well, we’ll certainly get the data and share that with all of you. … I hear you. I hear you on the press conference, on a formal press conference. We get this probably every couple of months when you guys ask us about a formal press conference. I don’t have anything to share with all of you at this time, And I’ll just leave it there.”
