Can't Take the Heat: WH Press Secretary KJP Storms Out After African Reporter Ateba Gets Under Skin Again

Today News Africa's Simon Ateba has a way of getting under White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre's skin, and on Thursday, the feud grew to new levels as KJP stormed out of the briefing room without taking any questions when Ateba insisted she call on him.

The two have clashed before:

Fireworks at the WH Press Briefing: Reporter Tells KJP She Should Be 'Ashamed' for Ducking Questions

All Hell Breaks Loose During Briefing After Karine Jean-Pierre Has Reporter Removed

This time, though, she seemed especially perturbed and simply shut down the briefing, which was attended by National Security Council spokesman John Kirby. She turned from the podium angrily, and when another reporter tried to ask a question, she cut him off with, "No. Thanks, everybody," and stomped off.

Watch:

BREAKING: Karine Jean-Pierre ENDS the White House briefing in chaos after refusing to call on an African journalist

She took zero questions. pic.twitter.com/6XjvViASgb
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) November 30, 2023

The kerfuffle began when Ateba, who is Cameroonian, demanded that Jean-Pierre ask a question of the African reporter in the room—himself—since the Biden White House was hosting the Angolan president Thursday:

Jean-Pierre repeatedly warned Today News Africa editor-in-chief Simon Ateba she would cut short the briefing if he kept talking over Al-Arabiya Washington bureau chief Nadia Bilbassy-Charters with his questions about Angolan President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço's visit.

As usual, Karine Jean-Pierre skipped right over Ateba as if he didn't exist and pointed to another reporter for a question. Ateba wasn't having it: "It is so surprising that you don't think if you are accepting an African leader, you can't take a question from an African journalist," he interrupted.

He posted to Twitter after the exchange:

It's a shame that @WhiteHouse @PressSec Karine Jean-Pierre decided to abruptly end the press briefing rather than take a question from me after a year. Even when President Biden is hosting an African leader like the President of Angola today, the White House does not take a… pic.twitter.com/O8YfrzGa0L
— Simon Ateba (@simonateba) November 30, 2023

The rest of the tweet reads:

Even when President Biden is hosting an African leader like the President of Angola today, the White House does not take a question from the African journalist in the room. I am highly disappointed and even heartbroken that in the citadel of democracy, and in the most powerful house in the world, I'm being discriminated against for a year for trying to do my job while journalist colleagues remain silent. May God help me.

Some, even other White House reporters from the corporate media, find Ateba's tactics unbecoming and indeed, even in this clip, you can hear one grumble "Oh, my God" when Ateba steps out of line. But they did not seem to mind when the pugnacious, mannerless CNN reporter Jim Acosta made his name by constantly (rudely) battling with former President Donald Trump, at one point even ripping a microphone from a young female WH staffer's hand. None of them got all worked up when reporters would routinely turn former Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders' press briefings into bullying sessions.

But she was a big girl, she didn't storm out like a kid having a tantrum.

Whether you like Ateba's tactics or not, it does seem he has a point: shouldn't the African reporter in the room get asked a question once in a while? Especially when African VIPs are visiting the White House? And isn't it strange that the black press secretary acts as if one of the few black reporters in the room is invisible?

Her office once even tried to have him kicked out for good:

Earlier this year, Ateba had his hard pass to the White House revoked when President Joe Biden's administration introduced new rules as part of the renewal process. The badge previously permitted him entry to the executive compound without an escort.
Ateba sued Jean-Pierre and the Secret Service in federal court last September to have his access restored.

Karine Jean-Pierre could end this circus easily, and she knows it. Call on him once in a while. It's not that hard.