Biden Once Again Uses List of Pre-Selected Reporters To Call On at His Press Conference

On June 8, 2023, President Joe Biden held a joint press conference with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak following their bilateral meeting at the White House. The event drew attention for Biden’s reliance on a pre-selected list of reporters to call on, his response to bribery allegations from congressional Republicans, his comments on AI regulation, remarks about the U.S.-UK “special relationship,” and a moment where he appeared confused about stage directions. The press conference touched on multiple major topics including DOJ independence, the Canadian wildfire smoke crisis, and Biden’s economic agenda.

Pre-Selected Reporter List

The press conference opened with Biden reading from a prepared list of reporters to call on, a practice he has used repeatedly throughout his presidency. After concluding opening remarks, Biden said: “Alright, first question goes to James of the Financial Times. Unless he left.”

He later called on another specific reporter: “The next question from the PBS News Hour, Laura.” The reporter identified herself: “Laura Barron Lopez with the PBS News Hour.”

The use of pre-determined questioners at press conferences has been a recurring point of criticism throughout the Biden presidency. While previous administrations have occasionally directed questions to specific reporters, Biden’s consistent reliance on a written list has drawn attention because it suggests the White House controls which reporters get to ask questions and potentially knows the topics in advance. Critics argue this undermines the purpose of a free press conference, while defenders note that presidents have always had some control over the question selection process.

Biden Responds to Bribery Allegation

As Biden appeared to be wrapping up the press conference, a reporter shouted a question about the House Oversight Committee’s investigation. The reporter referenced Congresswoman Nancy Mace’s claims about an FBI file: “The bribery allegation, Congresswoman Nancy May says there’s damage evidence in that BI file that you sold out of the country. Do you have a response to the Congressional Republicans?”

Biden’s response was a deflection through humor: “Where’s the money? I’m joking.”

The quip drew some laughter but did not constitute a substantive response to the allegation. The House Oversight Committee had been investigating bank records showing millions of dollars in payments from foreign entities to Biden family members, and Republican members of Congress were publicly alleging the existence of an FBI document describing a bribery scheme involving then-Vice President Biden and a foreign national. Biden’s joke-and-move-on approach was consistent with the White House’s broader strategy of dismissing the investigations rather than engaging with specific claims.

DOJ Independence and Trump

A reporter managed to ask Biden about public trust in the Department of Justice: “Mr. President, what do you say to Americans to convince them that they should trust the independence and fairness of the Justice Department when your predecessor Donald Trump repeatedly attacks them?”

Biden gave a direct answer: “Because you notice I have never once, not one single time, suggested in the Justice Department what they should do or not do, wealth to bring to charge and operating to charge. I’m honest.”

The claim of never having influenced the DOJ was noteworthy because critics had argued that the Biden administration’s approach to various investigations, including those involving Biden family members, raised questions about the Department’s independence. Biden framed his non-interference as proof of institutional integrity, contrasting his approach with Trump’s public criticisms of the DOJ.

”Bidenomics” and Economic Messaging

Biden also referenced his economic agenda during the press conference, revealing that the “Bidenomics” branding was taking hold in media coverage: “I’m sure you’re going to be shocked. One of the things that I decided to do and I find that the Wall Street Journal, and I’m sure there’s someone here from the Wall Street Journal and other publications that are talking about bidenomics, I didn’t realize it was, I had bidenomics going, but the bottom line was this.”

The comment about “not realizing” he had “bidenomics going” suggested the term had originated or gained traction in media coverage rather than as a White House messaging strategy, though the administration subsequently embraced the branding and used it extensively throughout the summer of 2023.

Canadian Wildfire Smoke and Air Quality

Biden addressed the air quality crisis caused by Canadian wildfire smoke that was blanketing the northeastern United States. He urged Americans to take precautions: “It’s very important that affected communities listen to the guidance of their state and local officials from this point forward. To keep up to date on the air quality in real time, go to the app that we provided. It’s called airnow.gov.”

Biden explained the app’s functionality: “And check on one another. And by the way, what you’ll get is something that looks like this with a calibrated piece that says when the air is clean, and when the air is dangerous and hazardous, and it dictates what, to tell you the air quality in your neighborhood.”

The wildfire smoke had turned skies orange across much of the East Coast and pushed air quality to hazardous levels in cities including New York and Washington, D.C., making it one of the most visible environmental events of 2023.

AI Regulation

Biden made notable comments about artificial intelligence during the press conference, expressing concern about the technology’s potential for harm: “There’s an AI about, I think, we’re 13 here in the United States, the very architects of this AI. They’re also very concerned about it getting out of hand, and many other things that are just beyond our comprehension. But it’s the potential to do great damage if it’s not controlled.”

He described one regulatory approach: “And so we’re looking for, I’ll overstate it, we’re looking for watermarks on everything it has to do with produced by AI, so we know from whence it comes. But there’s a lot we have to do.”

The comment about AI having “the potential to do great damage if it’s not controlled” reflected the administration’s growing focus on AI regulation, which would eventually lead to an executive order on AI safety in October 2023.

The “Special Relationship” With the UK

Biden emphasized the closeness of the U.S.-UK alliance: “That’s the unshakable foundation of this special relationship, and it is a special relationship. There’s no country closer to us than Great Britain.”

He joked about the frequency of his meetings with Sunak: “Mr. Prime Minister, it’s great to have you back. And in the past few months we met each other in San Diego, and then we met in Belfast, and we met in Hiroshima. And now we’re here. We’re going to solve all the problems in the world in the next 20 minutes.”

Stage Confusion

The press conference included a moment of confusion about logistics. After the formal portion concluded, a voice was heard announcing: “Special Delegations, depart the East Room.” Biden appeared uncertain about what to do next: “I’m supposed to walk off the stage now. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.”

The moment drew attention as another instance of Biden appearing unsure of his movements during public events, a pattern that critics had highlighted throughout his presidency.

Additional Context

The June 8, 2023 press conference with Prime Minister Sunak came during a period of dense news. The debt ceiling crisis had just been resolved days earlier with the Fiscal Responsibility Act. The House Oversight Committee’s investigation into Biden family finances was intensifying. Canadian wildfire smoke was creating unprecedented air quality conditions across the eastern United States. And the AI policy debate was accelerating following the rapid adoption of ChatGPT and other large language models.

Key Takeaways

• Biden read from a pre-selected list of reporters at the joint press conference, calling on specific journalists by name and outlet rather than taking questions from the room at large.
• When a reporter shouted about the FBI bribery allegation, Biden deflected with humor: “Where’s the money? I’m joking,” without substantively addressing the claim.
• Biden claimed he had “never once, not one single time” suggested to the DOJ what to do regarding charges, framing his non-interference as proof of institutional independence.
• Biden expressed concern about AI having “the potential to do great damage if it’s not controlled” and said the administration was seeking “watermarks on everything” produced by AI.
• Biden appeared confused about stage directions at the conclusion of the press conference, saying “I’m supposed to walk off the stage now. Wait, wait, wait.”