THE MEET THE PRESS MOMENT WE HAVE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR HAPPENS TODAY
The press has not heard from the president this week in the days preceding a rare press conference. He did not answer questions last Friday when he left the White House and has not had any additional engagements. Today at 4:00 PM is the media's day. Pres. Joe Biden holds his first press conference this year and second one overall, a rare occurrence that White House press has been looking forward to for months. He has held fewer press conferences that any POTUS in modern times.
The Slice was not selected to participate in the pool the White House Correspondent Association credentialed to cover the event. Even if present, there is no guarantee that the outlets will be called upon. The WHCA has grappled with how to manage approving media in a crowed briefing space while adjusting to changing COVID protocols. In this setting the president will be addressed by more reporters than usual instead of press secretaries fielding questions for him as has been the general practice during his first year in office.
The Slice reached out to the head oaf the WHCA for comment on the following questions and did not get an answer by press time:
What role did the WHC play in securing the press conference? What was the reasoning the WH gave for why the POTUS did not face the full press and in the Brady Briefing Room specifically? Will this be a regular occurrence?
How Biden has handled multiple crises is sure to be the focus of questions.
He arrives at this moment with low approval ratings, a worsening pandemic, rising inflation, a possible conflict with Ukraine and Russia and deadlock in the Senate on voting rights.
The White House press office released several fact sheets on Biden's record hours before he was scheduled to speak.
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