Press Secretary Tells Reporter To “Respect Your Colleagues” As She Protests Not Being Called On During White House Briefing

deadline.com:

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre admonished a reporter to “respect your colleagues” as the journalist tried to shout a question as Jean-Pierre called on someone else.Jean-Pierre had called on Chris Johnson, correspondent for the Washington Blade, but Angolan TV anchor Hariana Veras attempted to ask her own question.

She complained that she had been “asking you for a question for a long time.”As Veras interrupted while Johnson spoke, Jean-Pierre said, “You are not being respectful.

To your own colleagues.” As the Veras continued, Jean-Pierre said, “Respect your colleagues.”Veras complained earlier this month when Jean-Pierre did not call on her during a briefing.

As she attempted to ask a question and told Jean-Pierre, “Why do we always have to beg for questions? Africans deserve questions as well.” She did call on Simon Ateba, chief White House correspondent for Today News Africa, who also has interrupted during the briefings to complain that the White House was not taking questions about Africa.Johnson asked his question once, but Jean-Pierre said that he would have to repeat it because “there is some disrespect happening.” Jean-Pierre did try to make a point of taking questions from the back row of the briefing room, as there also have been complaints that too much of briefing time was taken by questions from reporters in the first two rows, where network correspondents and other major news outlets are seated.The White House Correspondents’ Association had no comment.