(RepublicanWire.org) – White House Press Secretary Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre loses it on a reporter and walks out of White House press briefing.
KJP abruptly ended Thursday’s White House press briefing after an interruptive exchange with Today News Africa chief White House correspondent Simon Ateba.
Ateba was asking about next week’s U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, where African leaders will descend on Washington, and the back-and-forth devolved quickly.
Here’s how the chaos — during which Jean-Pierre called on a different reporter, only to have Ateba interrupt — all went down:
ATEBA: Can you take a question on the U.S.-Africa Summit?
REPORTER: Thank you, Karine —
JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead.
ATEBA: Can you take a question on the U.S.-Africa Summit?
JEAN-PIERRE: I — go ahead. Go ahead.
ATEBA: Karine, why is it so hard to take a question on the U.S.-Africa Summit, when the president is meeting 50 African leaders — the biggest gathering of leaders of his administration? Why is it hard for you to give me a question?
While Ateba was asking “why is it so hard,” Jean-Pierre looked stoic and frustrated.
JEAN-PIERRE: It is not hard. I’ve answered — I —
ATEBA: No, it is hard, because it’s been months. You don’t —
JEAN-PIERRE: Would you let me answer the question? Or are you going to —
ATEBA: I don’t want to yell, but you don’t give us question.
JEAN-PIERRE: Okay. I’m trying to answer your question.
However, Ateba didn’t ask a question, rather asked if he could ask a queston. Jean-Pierre tried calling on the other reporter as Ateba tried to ask a question in which Jean-Pierre accused Ateba of not letting her answer him.
After a couple more moments of a tense back-and-forth, Jean-Pierre ended the briefing.
“Okay, thanks, everybody,” she said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Jean-Pierre then walked away from the podium.
This is not the first time Ateba has clashed with Jean-Pierre. She blasted him when he tried to ask outgoing White House Chief Medical Adviser Anthony Fauci last month a question during his final briefing.
Ateba previously accused Jean-Pierre of blacklisting him.
