In a recent development, Karoline Leavitt, the incoming press secretary for President-elect Donald Trump, has pledged to provide greater press access than the preceding administration.
This commitment comes in the wake of the current administration's perceived lack of transparency and accessibility to the press.
As reported by Fox News, it is a long-standing tradition for the incumbent president to hold a year-end press conference. However, when queried about President Biden's plans for such a conference, his press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, was unable to provide any information. Leavitt, in a conversation with Dana Perino on Fox News' "America's Newsroom," expressed her concerns about the current president's silence.
Leavitt stated, "He's been spending a lot of time in Delaware as he did throughout his entire term. We haven't seen or heard much from the leader of the free world over the past several weeks since the November 5 election. It's clear that he realizes this is over for him. But I think it's a dereliction of duty on his behalf. And he owes it to the American people to speak directly to them."
The incoming press secretary further criticized the Biden administration for its lack of transparency, stating, "Talk to reporters who sit inside that briefing room. They have been incredibly frustrated with the lack of access and transparency from the Biden White House." Leavitt assured that the situation would change under the Trump administration, promising increased access and transparency. "Their access to the president and the transparency will increase when President Trump is back in the Oval Office. We saw that in his first term. He often brought the press into the Oval Office when he was signing bills. I can expect that is going to continue when he returns in January."
The Biden administration has faced criticism both domestically and internationally for its perceived lack of transparency. A notable instance was the Quad Summit in September, where the press was denied access to Biden's discussions with leaders from Australia, India, and Japan at his Wilmington, Delaware home. This move was deemed "unacceptable" by the White House Correspondents Association (WHCA).
WHCA president and Politico correspondent Eugene Daniels expressed his concerns, stating, "My understanding is that the current posture of the administration is for the press to only see the leaders drive in with no eyes, or cameras on POTUS in this historic moment. I cant remember a time where this president has had a bilateral meeting on US soil and the press and therefore the American people were blocked from seeing it."
In response to these criticisms, Jean-Pierre assured that there would be "plenty of opportunities" for press access. However, her assurances did little to quell the concerns of the WHCA, which also took issue with Biden's response to an off-topic question at the G-7 Summit in Italy in June.
The WHCA stated, "The White House Correspondents Association believes it is in the public interest to make clear that at a presidential press conference, at home or abroad, there are no preconditions regarding question topics. While the White House does determine the number of reporters the president will recognize, it is up to professional journalists to decide what to ask."
As Leavitt prepares to assume her role, she will make history as the youngest White House press secretary at the age of 27. This transition promises a shift in the administration's approach to press relations, with a renewed commitment to transparency and accessibility.
Login