During his recent trip to Brazil and Peru, President Biden faced frustration from members of the press who were eager to ask him questions. As he boarded Air Force One, reporters attempted to get his attention by holding up signs with one-word questions, such as 'Xi?' and 'Ukraine??' The press was particularly interested in Biden's meeting with China's Xi Jinping and his decision to authorize Ukraine's military to use U.S.-provided long-range missiles on targets inside Russian territory.
Biden's trip included attending the G-20 summit in Brazil and meeting with world leaders like Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. Despite reporters' efforts to get a response from the president, Biden remained mostly silent on the topics they were eager to discuss.
White House officials defended Biden's engagement with the press, highlighting over 630 Q&A sessions during his time in office and more than 50 interviews conducted this year. The senior deputy White House press secretary emphasized that Biden leads the most transparent administration in American history.
While on the plane back to Washington, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre assured reporters that Biden regularly takes questions from the press and will continue to engage with them. She encouraged the press to 'stay tuned' for future interactions with the president.
