President Biden once again consulted a pre-approved list of reporters to call on during a press conference in Rome on Sunday at the end of the G20 summit.
After his remarks, Biden opened the floor up to questions, but started with the Associated Press because that’s what he was instructed to do.
“And now I’m happy to take some questions,” Biden said. “And I’m told I should start with AP, Zeke Miller.”
Joe Biden calls on reporter from pre-approved list: “I’m told I should start with AP, Zeke Miller" pic.twitter.com/n7K2QtBdnq
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) October 31, 2021
While this is far from the first time he’s relied on a pre-approved list of reporters to take questions from, and he makes no effort to hide it (in Geneva, for example, during a visit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Biden said “as usual, folks, they gave me a list of the people I’m going to call on”), the tactic is raising the question among critics of who’s really in charge.
"Who is calling the shots behind the curtain?" tweeted Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN).
Others wondered the same.
Who is really in charge at the Biden White House? Because it sure as hell isn't Joe Biden...https://t.co/zArFY53qHV
— Ryan Fournier (@RyanAFournier) October 31, 2021
Who is calling the shots at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue? https://t.co/tbsztYFngI
— toddstarnes (@toddstarnes) November 1, 2021
According to The Daily Mail, the administration's "preferred pecking order ... seems to be The Associated Press, The Washington Post, NBC News, Reuters and Bloomberg News."
The final day of the summit was dominated by climate talks with global leaders ahead of the United Nations' climate conference in Glasgow this week.
In a joint statement, the G20 leaders said they remain "committed to the Paris Agreement goal to hold the global average temperature increase well below 2°C and to pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5°C above preindustrial levels."