A White House press conference featuring the cast of “Ted Lasso” was briefly derailed Monday after a correspondent and frequent disruptor repeatedly intervened, prompting opposition from the White House Correspondents Association and other reporters.
Simon Ateba, a correspondent for Today News Africa, began screaming as press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre took the podium, along with actors Jason Sudeikis, Hannah Waddingham, Brett Goldstein, Brendan Hunt and Toheeb Jimoh.
Ateba, who frequently speaks inappropriately in the briefing room and has clashed with Jean-Pierre in the past, claimed he and others in the room were “discriminated against” for the questions they wanted to ask.
“It’s been seven months. You didn’t call me. I say that’s not right,” Ateba said.
“Welcome folks. Welcome to the press conference room,” Jean-Pierre said to the “Ted Lasso” actors in attendance, before Ateba began voicing his complaints again.
While Ateba had previously made similar discrimination allegations and criticized Jean-Pierre during briefings, Monday’s outburst drew more than usual rebuttal from other reporters in the room, who grew frustrated that Ateba was delaying and wrecking the process.
“Sorry to our guests. We apologize,” said Kelly O’Donnell, NBC News correspondent and vice president of the WHCA.
When Ateba interjected again before national security spokesman John Kirby took the podium, several reporters pushed back.
“If you have complaints, you should take them to her later… The press corps is tired of dealing with it,” said Jeff Mason, a Portal correspondent and former WHCA president.
Brian Karem, a veteran White House reporter who regularly attends briefings, urged Ateba to “mind your manners when you’re here.”
“If you have a problem, bring it up later, but you’re affecting everyone in here who’s just trying to get their job done,” he said.
Jean-Pierre, in a reply, noted the history of the press conference room, which she said “should have decency”.
“I understand there will be give and take. This is how the press conference has been going for decades, in front of me and I will always, always respect that, but what I won’t, what I won’t appreciate is the disregard for your colleagues and the disregard for guests who are here to speak, the were here to talk about an incredibly important issue, which is mental health,” she said. “And what just happened in the last 10, 15 minutes is unacceptable.”
Associated Press correspondent Zeke Miller, also a former WHCA president, opened the questioning of Jean-Pierre by apologizing for the incident earlier in the briefing.
“I just want to express our apologies from the press corps to the people watching at home for the ad you saw earlier. We’re accountable to them,” Miller said.
Following the briefing, WHCA President Tamara Keith lamented the “extreme breakdown in decency” in a memo to members Monday.
“What happened today created a hostile work environment for everyone in this room,” Keith wrote.
Monday was far from the first time Ateba had disrupted a press conference.
Last May, he was reprimanded after yelling at another reporter to complain that he wasn’t called out enough at former press secretary Jen Psaki’s last briefing. The WHCA warned Ateba of possible deportation after this incident.
Last September, he was called to a briefing with Kirby and asked the former Pentagon press secretary to clarify his role, claiming, “Everywhere I go I have black people telling me that the reason you’re in the White House is to subvert the first black secretary.”
Similarly, he shouted questions when other reporters asked during Dr. Anthony Fauci late last year, prompting a rebuke from Jean-Pierre.
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In December, Jean-Pierre abruptly ended the briefing when Ateba, after calling The Hill with a question, began complaining that he was not being called often and would not back down.
Ateba had previously appeared on Fox News host Tucker Carlson’s show to complain that he was being discriminated against. He is scheduled to appear on Carlson’s show Monday night.
Updated at 5:06 p.m
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