The New York Times piled on the criticism of the Biden White House for dodging press interviews, saying it sets a “dangerous precedent.”
In a statement on Thursday, the Times called it “troubling” that Biden “has so actively and effectively avoided questions from independent journalists during his term.”
It said:
[I]n meetings with Vice President Harris and other administration officials, the publisher of The Times focused instead on a higher principle: That systematically avoiding interviews and questions from major news organizations doesn’t just undermine an important norm, it also establishes a dangerous precedent that future presidents can use to avoid scrutiny and accountability.
That is why Mr. Sulzberger has repeatedly urged the White House to have the president sit down with The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, CNN and other major independent news organizations that millions of Americans rely on to understand their government.
Reporters with the New York Times also disputed a recent report from POLITICO saying that publisher A.G. Sulzberger said in a private comment that “only an interview with a paper like the Times can verify that the 81-year-old Biden is still fit to hold the presidency.”
