The House Select Committee on Benghazi is justifiably frustrated by the White House's shielding President Obama from answering questions about the September 11, 2012 raid in Libya. Back in 2014, Chairman Trey Gowdy reportedly spoke with Neil Eggleston, counsel to the president, about his intention to send the White House several questions about the president's role in the Benghazi response. The chairman sent about a dozen questions to the administration, including one asking if the president had seen surveillance footage of the ambush, and whether they ever reached out to the maker of that controversial YouTube video.
Not only did the White House refuse to answer Gowdy's questions, they dismissed it as a partisan attempt to slander the president.
Obama did, however, have time to do an interview with former Yankees player Derek Jeter. Benghazi committee communications director Jamal Ware blasted the president for his priorities.
“It's no surprise President Obama would rather take questions from Derek Jeter than answer questions for the American people about the Benghazi terrorist attacks, which followed what he himself has called his worst mistake — failing to plan for what happened after the State Department pushed U.S. intervention in Libya,” said committee spokesman Jamal Ware, referring to Obama's chat a few days ago with the former New York Yankee. “The White House’s fictional narrative today is the latest chapter of the story it has been spinning since 2012, when four of our fellow citizens were murdered by Al-Qaeda-linked terrorists in the tragic terrorist attacks in Benghazi."
Obama would be apt to remember he is our commander-in-chief first, not a celebrity.
The Benghazi committee is expected to release its final report this week from its two-year investigation, which will likely expose more details as to how this White House failed our American soldiers overseas.