Heroic African reporter Simon Ateba recently described how Biden Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre got him blacklisted from the White House press pool for asking unauthorized questions, such as inquiries into COVID-19’s origins.
The White House Correspondents’ Association has reportedly, according to a letter posted by Ateba in which the executive director scolded Ateba that his “behavior violated the expectations for membership outlined in our bylaws” — refused to renew Ateba’s membership.
But he apparently still has his White House press credentials, presumably since his existing membership has not been canceled.
So the epic struggle continues.
Ateba came in hot as KJP attempted to kick off the briefing while her invited celebrity guests looked on uncomfortably. (The White House for some reason frequently invites vapid celebrities with nothing meaningful to offer in the way of political commentary to the briefing room, ostensibly just to kill time and avoid addressing any actual issues.)
It was juicy.
The White House press briefing opens in total chaos as Simon Ateba berates Karine Jean-Pierre for not calling on him in months.
The cast of Apple TV+’s ‘Ted Lasso’ awkwardly stand behind KJP as Ateba made a scene. pic.twitter.com/hnZeUtjtMa
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) March 20, 2023
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White House Correspondent @simonateba refuses to stop interrupting KJP during White House Press Briefing
ATEBA: “Some people in the briefing room because you don’t like them…This is not China! This is NOT Russia!” pic.twitter.com/2hkzGsYiUd
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) March 20, 2023
In response to Ateba’s dressing down, instead of acknowledging her obvious and demonstrable preference for the “front row” corporate media lapdogs who can be counted on to ask safe questions within very limited confines, the good “front row” boys and girls who still mask and otherwise comport their behavior at all times with the standards set by their overlords shouted down Ateba, eagerly cheerleading the death of the freedom of the press in their official capacities as members of the press.
Sad!
KJP then lectured the press corps, doing a whole moralizing lesson about how Ateba’s demand for questions is “unacceptable,” exuding very strong vibes of an elementary teacher who has lost all control of the classroom due to her incompetence and whose last resort is an appeal to shame.
She could have just called on Ateba for a question and gotten the whole thing rolling. Instead, she ignored him and created a minutes-long spectacle because of her own actions.
Her handlers, who grasp the palace politics in a way that KJP can’t (she can barely read), must have told her to handle things this way because relenting and allowing unsanctioned reporters to ask questions would open up a whole can of worms. They can’t face adversarial questions, so totalitarian control over the briefing room must be maintained.
So it’s best optics to bite the bullet, allow the melodrama to unfold, and wait until Ateba is escorted from the building for good, which won’t be long.
Simon Ateba is an absolute (inter)national treasure.
