Biden Caught on Camera With Reporter’s Question, Demonstrating ‘Soft and Collaborative’ Press Corps

On Wednesday, President Biden was caught on camera ahead of a press conference with a cheat sheet detailing a Los Angeles Times reporter’s name, news outlet, and the question that reporter would later ask the president — something White House veterans say is unprecedented.During a press conference with the South Korean president at the White House Rose Garden, a photographer captured a slip of paper that included reporter Courtney Subramanian’s name, photo, and the question she would later put to the president.The White House press secretary for President George W. Bush, Ari Fleisher, tells the Sun: “I’ve never seen anything like it.”“If I approached a White House reporter and tried to get their question in advance, my request itself would have been a major controversy,” Mr. Fleischer says. “The LA Times needs to investigate what happened.”The slip of paper caught on camera read: “How are YOU squaring YOUR domestic priorities — like reshoring semiconductors manufacturing — with alliance-based foreign policy?” “Question # 1” was written above Ms. Subramanian’s photo.Ms. Subramanian, who was called on first, went on to ask a question similar to the one on the piece of paper.“Your top economic priority has been to build up U.S. domestic manufacturing in competition with China, but your rules against expanding chip manufacturing in China is hurting South Korean companies that rely heavily on Beijing. Are you damaging a key ally in the competition with China to help your domestic politics ahead of the election?” Ms. Subramanian asked.Another photo captured a second piece of paper that listed the names of administration officials and the order they were scheduled to deliver remarks.Another former White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, expressed curiosity concerning the logistics of how the White House got the question in advance, asking if the current press secretary made “it a condition of getting an answer.”“Since I never got the questions in advance I’m curious how this went down,” Mr. Spicer said.Mr. Fleischer is also curious to find out how the question ended up on Mr. Biden’s cheat sheet ahead of time.“The LA Times needs to investigate what happened. Did their reporter tell the White House they would share their question in advance if they got a question?“ Mr. Fleischer asks. “Did the White House approach the reporter?“Mr. Fleischer added, “In all cases, the sharing of a question with the White House is unethical and shows just how soft and collaborative the press corps has become.”A Los Angeles Times spokeswoman, Hilary Manning, tells the Sun, “Our reporter did not submit any questions in advance of the Q&A with President Biden.”“Courtney Subramanian covers the White House for the Los Angeles Times. As such, she is in regular contact with the White House press office seeking information for her reporting,” Ms. Manning said. “You would have to ask the White House who prepared the document for the president and why they included that question.”The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Biden Caught on Camera With Reporter’s Question, Demonstrating ‘Soft and Collaborative’ Press Corps

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