White House Press Secretary Karine Jean Pierre left Thursday’s press conference angry after being pressed by an African journalist to explain why he had not been called upon to ask a question.
This confrontation marks the last clash between Jean-Pierre and Simon Ateba of Today News Africa, which in June accused the White House of discrimination for not allowing him to ask questions during briefings.
“Can I ask you more about Angola?” Ateba asked National Security Council spokesman John Kirby after he finished answering another reporter’s question on a different topic.
Kirby previously answered questions related to Angolan President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço’s Thursday visit to the White House.
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Simon Ateba, journalist for Today News Africa, and Karine Jean-Pierre, White House press secretary. (Getty Images)
Jean-Pierre, who called on journalists to ask Kirby questions, ignored Ateba and called on another journalist.
“It’s so surprising that you don’t answer – you get an African leader, but you can’t answer a question from an African journalist,” Ateba said after being ignored.
“OK, we can finish this briefing now,” Jean-Pierre said as Ateba protested.
Ateba continued while the journalist contacted by Jean-Pierre tried to ask him her question.
Today News Africa reporter Simon Ateba appears on Fox News to discuss his clash with White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. (Fox News)
“We can end this briefing if it’s not respectful here,” Jean-Pierre said, taking the podium as a reporter could be heard muttering, “Oh, my God.”
“You receive an African leaderand you don’t answer a question,” Ateba continued before Jean-Pierre interrupted him, resumed his notes and walked away from the podium.
“Thank you everyone,” she said as she walked out, looking angry.
A reporter tried to ask another question as she walked away, but Jean-Pierre interrupted him as well.
“No. Thank you all,” she said.
Angolan President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço speaks during the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly at the United Nations headquarters in New York, September 24, 2019. (Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images)
The White House Ateba threatened earlier this year with the revocation of his press privileges after a virulent clash between him and Jean-Pierre during the June 26 press briefing, during which he criticized him for not allowing him to ask any questions.
“You are incredibly rude. You are incredibly rude,” Jean-Pierre told Ateba at the time. She then threatened to end the press conference if Ateba didn’t get in line and stop interrupting her.
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Jean-Pierre’s office addressed Ateba directly in a letter that the journalist shared on social networksreprimanding him for the interruption.
