Biden’s way of running news conferences could be primer for leaders on managing media

New York, June 27

While speculation swirls around the two-questioner limit at the press encounter of US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the American leader has a record of carefully managing news conferences and picking in advance who asks him questions.

His method could be a primer for other leaders on how to hold news conferences while controlling how the messaging.

At least during Modi’s visit last week he allowed two reporters to ask questions.

During Modi’s last visit in 2021, he didn’t allow any questions at their joint appearance and, in fact, told the Prime Minister: “I think, with your permission, we could not answer questions because they won’t ask any questions on point."

And contrasting the journalists from the two countries, he said: “I think what we're going to do is bring in the press. The Indian press is much better behaved than the American press. I have to watch out…”

Those remarks, which he may have meant to be private, were caught on a hot microphone. 

On June 22 as Biden and Modi appeared at the White House East Room, the President faced the prospects of awkward questions about his son Hunter Biden’s business dealings, which were being aired that day by Republicans on a House of Representatives panel.

In one of the transcripts of WhatsApp messages to a Chinese businessman, released by the committee, Hunter Biden made threats over a money dispute asserting that he was with his father and said, “I am sitting here waiting for the call with my father”.

That appeared to implicate the President who has maintained he was not involved in his son’s questionable business dealings.

Hunter Biden, according to the transcript, also said: “I will make certain that between the man sitting next to me and every person he knows and my ability to forever hold a grudge that you will regret not following my direction.”

The President likely would have wanted to avoid questions about his son and, therefore, limiting questioners would be to his advantage.

His handlers try to put guardrails also against his gaffes making his encounters with journalists often appear scripted.

His staff determines who will ask him questions -- and provides him with cue cards with pictures of journalists (so he can recognise them and call them up) along with likely question topics and answers to them.

The gambit was given away when he accidentally turned a cue card for an Indian American reporter, Courtney Subramanian, towards the camera in April making it visible to all.

That lets him -- and friendly media -- keep up appearances of being open to encounters with journalists, while carefully manipulating the interaction.

(The Los Angeles Times denied colluding with the White House.)

Biden also has a record of getting angry in public view with reporters who break the media sanitary cordon and ask questions he doesn’t like.

He has called a Fox News correspondent, “What a stupid son of a b***h”.

And he retorted back to a CNN reporter who persisted with questions, “If you don’t understand that, you’re in the wrong business”.

“What the hell, what do you do all the time?” he asked her. 

On June 22 at the White House, after Modi and Biden had read out their prepared statements, the President said: “I’m told there are two questioners: Sabrina (Siddiqui) from The Wall Street Journal and (Rakesh) Kumar from the (Press) Trust of India”.

Siddiqui asked him about criticisms from some in Biden’s party about the treatment of religious minorities and “crackdown on dissent”.

“It is in America’s DNA and, I believe, in India’s DNA that the whole world -- the whole world has a stake in our success, both of us, in maintaining our democracies.  It makes us appealing partners and enables us to expand democratic institutions across -- around the world,” Biden said.

He said that they had a “good discussion about democratic values”, and added, “we’re straightforward with each other, and -- and we respect each other”.

And Siddiqui asked, Modi “what steps are you and your government willing to take to improve the rights of Muslims and other minorities in your country and to uphold free speech?"

Speaking in Hindi, Modi repeated Biden’s remarks about the DNA of democracy in both countries. 

He said: “Our ancestors have actually put words to this concept, of democracy and that is in the form of our constitution.

“We have always proved that democracy can deliver.  And when I say deliver, this is regardless of caste, creed, religion, gender (and) here’s absolutely no space for discrimination."

And in answering Siddiqui’s question about him calling China’s President Xi Jinping a “dictator”, Biden seemed to mix up India and China, but quickly corrected himself: “The idea of my choosing and avoiding saying what I think is the facts with regard to the relationship with India — with China is — is just not something I’m going to change very much”.

Kumar lobbed soft questions about the environment and climate change, a favourite topic of both Biden and Modi.

(Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed at @arulouis)

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-IANS