Simon Ateba, the Cameroonian journalist whose interruptions caused all hell to break loose at the White House press briefing Monday, appeared on Tucker Carlson’s show to denounce his treatment by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and even the other correspondents, calling it outright “discrimination.”
The Today News Africa correspondent claims he hasn’t been called on in over seven months, despite emailing Jean-Pierre, showing up to her office to request a meeting, and raising his hand at every press briefing, to no avail.
Even when the subject is Africa, he is ignored:
I’ve not been called on. I’ve gone to her office to seek a meeting. She said she would meet with me next year. I’ve sent questions about the Nigerian election, about, you know, the problems, challenges in Africa. And they’ve not called on me.
Even as the vice president is going to Africa, even as the first lady, Jill Biden, went to Africa. Even when they receive 50 African leaders for the U.S. African Summit in Washington D.C., the guy who covers the White House, the African guy who covered the White House is looked down upon in the greatest country in the world, in the most advanced country, where freedom of speech is protected!
Watch:
🔴 Tucker Carlson Torches the "Journalists" Who Tried to Shut Up WH Reporter Simon Ateba
"They again should be ashamed of themselves, and previous generations of reporters would have turned on them. … Your job is not to suck up to power. It's to serve your viewers and readers… https://t.co/H8fWYjjCBr pic.twitter.com/D2gICMLocT— Bruce Snyder MindfixTV NEWS (@realBruceSnyder) March 21, 2023
Ateba then goes on to explain that he believes he’s being treated so poorly because he isn’t part of the elite cadre of the White House Press corps who simply take notes for KJP and never ask any real questions:
And you know, when it happens to Jim Acosta of CNN, because they respect him. He’s white. He works for CNN. I’m black. I’m African. I don’t have money. They look down on me. I don’t have the opportunities that they have and they don’t treat me the same way – I need to do my job…
You know, the First Amendment protects the freedom of speech, the press and assembly, and the right to petition your government to seek redress.
‘The First Amendment says I have the right to ask questions, to do my job – and the press secretary doesn’t need to like me, date me, marry me, have two black children with me.
She doesn’t need to do all of that. She doesn’t even need to like my accent, doesn’t even need to like what I look like, come from.
KJP’s disdain for Ateba was obvious Monday, as she spoke to him like he was a small child, saying: “Are we ready? Are we gonna behave?”
Ateba said he’s gained new fans over the brouhaha:
Thank you to the 20 thousand new Twitter followers who joined me after my interview on @TuckerCarlson Tonight yesterday despite attacks. I will not disappoint you. They have told you I'm that bad guy who goes to the briefing room to yell questions. That's false and will perhaps… https://t.co/MEPk4KlZp2 pic.twitter.com/3eEHf5tLS2
— Simon Ateba (@simonateba) March 21, 2023
Ateba’s outbursts were undoubtedly disruptive, but many of the same journalists who were shushing him didn’t hold themselves to the same standards when Trump’s spokeswoman Sarah Sanders used to take to the podium. She was routinely interrupted and treated with disdain by the partisan WH press corp. And who can forget Sam Donaldson, who made a career out of rudely yelling questions at former President Ronald Reagan?
RedState’s Bonchie weighed in:
It’s sad that this is what the American press has been reduced to. Instead of pushing the Biden administration to provide relevant information to the public, they mostly spend their time defending the lack of transparency.
Exactly. While Ateba’s behavior shouldn’t become the norm or the briefing would become a veritable free-for-all, one can certainly understand his frustration. Jean-Pierre hasn’t called on him in seven months? That’s ridiculous and shows obvious favoritism toward those who she knows will just throw softballs at her.
Instead of trotting out Hollywood celebrities, she should be answering questions—and not just from her favorite pet journalists.
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