AMAC Exclusive – By Andrew Abbott
Following Joe Biden’s announcement earlier this week of new sanctions on Russian entities as a result of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, the President, as has become customary in this White House, immediately left the podium without taking questions from the press. Since the start of the crisis, Biden’s almost nonexistent availability to journalists has grown even more pronounced, and has begun to rankle at least some of the normally Democrat-friendly press. But as the country continues to face not only foreign disasters but a number of worsening domestic crises as well, even those administration officials who do take questions from the media haven’t had many satisfactory answers and have often lashed out at reporters – leading to some speculation that even the liberal media may be turning on their friends in the administration.
With Biden’s unwillingness – or inability – to take questions himself, even more of the pressure to provide answers to the media has fallen on his press secretary, Jen Psaki. At first, the overwhelmingly liberal White House press corps fawned over Psaki as one of the “adults” that Biden was supposedly putting back in charge. Psaki promised to bring “truth and transparency back,” and the media eagerly lapped it up, describing her as a “breath of fresh air.”
However, that perception soon changed as it became clear that Psaki had no intention of being truthful or transparent and became incredulous any time a reporter failed to simply take her at her word or dared to push back on the administration’s narrative.
One of the clearest signs of fracture came last December as Psaki mocked and dismissed the idea of sending COVID test kits to American households. Following backlash from the media and the public, the White House announced they would do just that.
Then earlier this month, she went after another reporter for questioning the administration’s narrative on the February 2nd military operation that resulted in the death of ISIS leader Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi. According to the White House, al-Quarayshi detonated a suicide bomb that killed thirteen other people, including women and children. But, as reporters, no doubt remembered a drone strike ordered by Biden in Kabul last year to take out another supposed ISIS leader instead killed a U.S. aid worker and his family. When a reporter expressed skepticism at Psaki’s narrative this time, she mockingly replied, “And ISIS is providing accurate information?”
It hasn’t just been Psaki who has turned a once-loving relationship with the press into a rockier one. Perhaps the most contentious exchanges between the media and a Biden official in recent weeks occurred between State Department Spokesperson Ned Price and Associated Press reporter Matt Lee regarding the Ukraine crisis. Since the buildup of Russian forces on the Ukraine border began, Price has gone to great lengths to assure the Pentagon press pool that “the world is united in opposing Russian aggression,” specifically the U.N., U.S., E.U., and NATO. To Lee, a veteran reporter, and much of the world, however, this statement bordered on farce.
Lee questioned how the U.N. Security Council could be united in opposing Russia when Russia is on the Security Council and China, another Security Council member, is opposed to U.N. intervention efforts. In fact, not one of the coalitions Price discussed is “unified” against Russia or in favor of American intervention. A majority of Americans oppose any direct involvement in Ukraine. Multiple E.U. countries have been non-committal (most notably Germany). Ukraine is not a part of NATO, and therefore NATO is not obligated to intervene.
But when Lee pointed out these glaring contradictions, Price countered that “if the criticism is that we are engaging too robustly in diplomacy, that we’re being too transparent, that we’re being too consistent in what we’re saying, that is criticism that we will accept if that’s a criticism you want to lodge.” Price appeared shocked that a reporter would dare to question his statements.
Only a few days later, the two clashed over Russia again. Price asserted that the United States had credible intelligence that Russia might attempt a false flag operation in Ukraine as a pretense to invasion but provided no corroborating evidence. When asked, Price appeared to make the argument that his evidence for the false flag operation was that he was saying there would be a false flag operation and that Lee should simply believe him.
Lee grilled the Pentagon spokesperson on this point, and Price outright accused the AP reporter of rejecting western intelligence in favor of Russian propaganda, saying, “If you doubt the credibility of the US government… and want to, you know, find solace in the information that…the Russian government is putting out, that’s for you to do.”
They would have another contentious exchange over Iran later that week in which the Pentagon spokesperson again attacked reporters for challenging the official Pentagon narrative.
According to a recent Roll Call article, an unnamed White House reporter stated that the exchanges “mean no one is under any illusion anymore… all that was missing was Jen Psaki or Ned Price accusing NPR or AP of being enemies of the people.”
In another shocking break from the norm, the New York Times announced late last month that it is suing the State Department for “allegedly withholding correspondence mentioning Hunter Biden and his former business associates that were sent or received by officials at the US Embassy in Romania.” After insisting throughout the 2020 election that anything related to Hunter Biden was “Russian disinformation” that deserved to be scrubbed from the airwaves, one of the most prominent liberal papers is now directly challenging the Biden administration for information on the President’s son.
In addition to the open hostility from the Biden administration when the media won’t simply do their bidding, the growing rift between the press and the White House also likely has something to do with the fact that the corporate heads of major media outlets recognize the undeniable truth that the American people are none too happy with the President or Congressional Democrats. As Biden continues to sink in the polls, the media undoubtedly recognizes that acting as his cheerleader no matter how bad things get is unwise from a matter of self-preservation.
There’s no doubt that in 2020, the media played a significant role in helping Biden take the White House. They covered for his many flaws, excused his basement campaign, and relentlessly pushed false narratives about Donald Trump’s record and agenda. They acted as de facto spokespeople for Biden’s campaign, assuring the public that everything would magically get better with Trump out of power. Now, it’s clear that things have only gotten much, much worse, and the media can no longer pretend that everything is going great. Furthermore, the Biden administration has, in many cases, blamed the media for not “selling” Biden’s agenda well enough, only adding insult to injury. With his first State of the Union taking place in just a few days, it may be that just when Biden needs the media the most, they are abandoning him in droves.
Andrew Abbott is the pen name of a writer and public affairs consultant with over a decade of experience in DC at the intersection of politics and culture.
Make no mistake that while some in the MSM may be softening their unwavering lapdog support for Biden, they are by no means abandoning him or his administration in droves. Some of these so-called journalists have to at least pretend they are covering the news in a semi-honest and unbiased fashion to maintain their marketability for future job prospects down the road and whatever little credibility they may have with the public. When push comes to shove, the MSM will quickly and robotically fall right back into line when it comes to support for Biden or his administration against any Republican challenge at any level.
Even this morning, I was watching a number of networks to see how they were framing the Russian invasion of Ukraine and every single network was downplaying any incompetence or policy issues by Biden or his administration, that allowed this situation to manifest itself in the first place. So when push comes to shove, the MSM will snap right back into running cover for Biden and the Democrats. To think otherwise is merely wishful thinking. The sole purpose of the MSM is to act as the propaganda arm of the Democrat Party and to protect the Party’s members.
So glad to read of the media revolt among the Dems Hooray
Now for some laffs via SOU speech
Watch via NewsMax
Most of the press has been carrying Biden’s water from day 1. They even helped him get elected by ignoring legitimate news that was very damaging to his image and trustworthiness. On the other hand, most of the press slandered President Trump on a daily basis. The horrible hoax that President Trump was in collusion with the Russians was a constant reminder to the American people that President Trump was not to be trusted. Biden has repaid the soft treatment by the media by being snarky and complaining that the press is treating him harshly and unfairly. Biden’s incompetence in how he withdrew from Afghanistan was even too dysfunctional for the woke press. Biden was no longer the media’s darling. Biden’s refusal to take any responsibility for his many failures is finally turning off even such propaganda papers as The New York Times and The Washington Post. It appears that Biden’s State of the Union Address will be saturated with tales of fantasy and deceit. Tragically, most of the press will still refuse to honestly evaluate Joe Biden’s destructive incompetence.
It looks like Putin took Joey behind the High School Gym and gave Joey a good old fashioned beat down! The sad part is when he fails America fails. He sits in his white tower in Washington D.C., or his beach estate in Delaware, not feeling the pain that his subjects have to endure.
This only proves how inept msm has been all along. They helped put this administration in place and only now that it’s too late they see not only the administrations inability to be honest and effective but their own as well. We are all suffering the consequences of poor leadership, just what those 81 million voters and msm must have wanted!
The lame stream media cannot deny the facts about the Ukraine situation or anything else that the O’Biden administration has been lying about since 1/20/21. The administration is certainly not transparent, and they mock the media when they are asked direct questions. That is the sign that the administration has no idea what they are doing. There are millions of average Americans suffering because of inflation, because of tax and spend policies, because of the lack of boarder enforcement, and because of a lack of accountability for crime on the streets. When the administration starts to snap back to their propagandists in the media, you know that honest answers are all but gone.
Biden will either produce a fictional account of our defense & economy or cancel this speech.
He is more likely to go for fiction.
The SOTU is an excellent opportunity for the GOP to quietly and peacefully express their opinion. Pelosi demands that attendees wear a mask. So I wrote the RNC saying that the GOP should wear their masks, but after Biden begins his speech, they should remove their masks. That makes a statement against government mandates. Either Pelosi is forced to ignore it or she is forced to have the GOP members removed from the chamber. If the latter, they should simply force security to escort them out, one by one, peacefully. Either way, a strong statement has been made. The GOP boycotting the event is also acceptable but I prefer the optics of a peaceful resistance by attending yet removing the mandated masks while Biden speaks.
Biden is like a child whose fun birthday party turned a wee bit rough and there he is confused and bevildered those who adored and praised him are not so gentle now buit not too rough just in case
Don’t forget, tough guy Biden told us couple of years ago just before stolen election that he is the only one Putin is afraid of. Hw is this working out? Peace through strength during President Trump’s days worked, and prosperity followed, until Chi-coms and Fauci dropped the killer virus on us and the left went nuts shutting the economy down. Ukraine is not our fight, even some European NATO nations are not interested. Our own borders need to be protected, not Ukrainian where Hunter’s piggy bank is.
Biden is IMPOTENT as the leader of THIS Nation, as well as the rest of the “free” world. It is high time for a change. Unfortunately, we will have to wait until 2024 for this to happen. Even then, there will be no guarantee of our Nation getting back on the right path. Forget the EU and NATO- THEY are moribund, to put it lightly…
We can only hope . . .
Curious to see how the media tries to spin how wonderful Biden is to encourage this invasion, how great he is to bring us inflation with ever increasing gas and food prices. Spin away you feckless dolts.
He is not fit for office but the problem you have a worse VP. She knows nothing but how to cackle and make light of any situation. Time for biden to turn back on the gas to America and German. Who is actually coaching this man soros?
Great time for him to screw up even further! He egged on the Russian invasion and now he needs to have everyone against him! Close our borders and be a freaking president!!
Pissaki being a breath of fresh air? Hah!! More like a stale old Taco Bell fart. She fits right in with the rest of potato head Joes faux administration!
The press is not necessarily on the side of Biden but on the side of the leftist agenda. Biden was pushed into office by the media to serve a purpose, which he has. There had always been speculation that, once the Democrats were in control, they might ditch Biden, having used him as a “Useful Idiot.” This appearance of angst and separation between the Biden Administration and the press could all be part of this agenda, in which case, all is going according to plan.
All of the policies that have brought us to the low place where we are have been based on lies and propaganda – “follow the “science”, white privilege, police brutality, systemic racism, emergent climate change,……” Further, they have all had extremely foreseeable outcomes in stripping individual rights, controlling “voting”, and decimating our ability to function economically without assistance from the government. It is like a grand design to bring America to it’s knees so it will require international intervention, ie. a foreign power or conglomeration of powers to “bring order” via “humanitarian aide” or military intervention; whatever is required.
The press ditching Biden is likely only the next step in the plan.
LET’S GO BRANDON!!!!!!!!!
Sits behind the desk in the oval office wearing a mask? Has not caught on yet that masks are ineffective. Clueless on all fronts,economically and in foreign policy. Could not orchestrate a one man parade.
…in helping Biden “take the White House”. Exactly. He never won it in a free and fair election.
That said, I would not want to be Biden or his puppeteers as he attempts to present a State of the Union today and try to prove that the SOTU is fine.
It’s time now. Let’s Go Brandon should be replaced with, Just Go Brandon!
Where do I begin here? First off I have a bone to pick with AMAC & ( 2 ) journalist that go by pen names & both have written about Ukraine, Russia invading Ukraine & on & on it goes…
I will concentrate on this subject where AMAC, MSM & the Biden administration is concerned on Ukraine & Russia… Back in 2014 under the Obama/Biden administration a thing called the Minsk Accord was established & brokered through the previous administration, i.e. Obama/Biden…
The purpose of the accord was to bring a lasting peace to the ethnic Russians of the Donbass region of Eastern Ukraine that is comprised of ( 2 ) states on the eastern border of Ukraine which borders Russia… For the better part of the last ( 8 ) years the Ukrainian gov’t has treated the ethnic Russians of the Donbass region horribly & furthermore have occupied the region militarily & have ruled it with an iron fist, is everyone still with me on this because up to this point, NOT an iota of the atrocities of the crooked Ukrainian gov’t’s military committed against the people of the Donbass has got little to NO coverage whatsoever…They, the ethnic Russian people of the Donbass region are pleading for help from Russia, why is this NOT being reported on? It has everything to do with Putin surrounding the Ukraine in order to prevent the Ukraine military from doing further harm to the people of the Donbass region…All of this has nothing to do with Crimea, since Russia’s navy was always there in either case & they still are there & will remain there…
Ukraine has long since BROKEN the so-called Obama/Biden Minsk Accord which Putin never signed off on in either case…Any accurate reporting on what is really going on in the most crooked nation on earth, i.e. Ukraine is shamelessly & completely missing because of crooked, double dealing politics between Ukraine, Europe, NATO & the Biden administration which NOT coincidently is the old Obama administration really pulling the strings here…
I will end this by saying Putin has made a complete fool out of Biden, the EU & NATO countries…
With the stroke of a pen, Putin simply is RECOGNIZING the ( 2 ) states of the Donbass region…
Does this spell an invasion of Ukraine? I don’t believe it does because in either case, Ukraine long, long ago ceased to abide by the so-called Obama/Biden Minsk Accord in either case…
In summary & rightly so for Russia’s own security, Putin will NEVER allow the Ukraine to become a member of NATO…
One last note here: Should America involve itself in a so-called border dispute between two other nations, i.e. Russia & Ukraine? Absolutely not, NOT directly NOR indirectly, now try convincing the current clueless idiot ruining this nation for he can be found at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. or at his taxpayer funded walled-in beach compound in Delaware sniffing some young girls hair no doubt…
Bill…
LOL and, the fools think this dumbcoff won by a landslide! Stop me before i laugh my self to death. This idiot poops in a Depends, lies, sniffs hair, makes deals with Russia, Iran and the CCP and a “majority of electoral college” votes put him in office? Pence should hung up by his manhood and dangled in place while the buzzards feed on his luciferian remains! We are in DEEP poop and I am not talking about 0’Biden’s poopie pants either! MAGA AGAIN, BRING BACK TRUMP!
… get up and speak on the State of the Union .. I will watch for about 38 seconds just to see you Choke on your LIES, you disgusting rotting skin bag pos blood on Your Hands obama/biden/clinton/soros war murdering pathetic excuse for human beings … have a nice day Commie Demoncrats
Biden is afraid to take questions because his handler’s don’t know what idiotic statement he will make if they allow him to speak. Already, Russia and the Europeans, apparently, hold Biden in derision because his speech is so bizarre.
Everybody should be tuning on Biden. He may have just led us into World War 3!
I loved CBS’ Nora O’ Donell grilling what’s his name over the lack of help being given to Ukraine, day before yesterday. She said, sniffing, You REALLY think those sanctions on Russia are going to keep them out of Ukraine? He said, yes, we’re being tough! She replied, well, we’ll see about that, won’t we?
Okay, I am going to lay all my ignorance out on the table. Please excuse me, I just have some questions.
When the Constitution was drafted these highly politically knowledgeable founding fathers wrote into the laws the circumstances where questions would occur and lashed out the manner that these questions would be handled. Very good. Well done.
However, it was virtually impossible to consider electronic malfeasance of elections. WWW did not exist, essentially not even the concept existed.
The fact is finally being also accepted by the blue that Biden did not win the 2020 election by any means mandated by the Constitution.
Accordingly, is there not something written somewhere in the laws of our nation that calls at least minimally for a recall election?
The 2020 election, POTUS, all and anything to do with this “administration” is truly disconcerting. Horribly embarrassing. During the Carter administration I was traveling internationally and there was so much ridicule for the peanut farmer. I cannot even imagine what foreign peoples are saying now! Pleas don’t get me wrong, it is not about something so menial as private opinions. Leaders of the countries of the world know what our farce of a democracy put into power…and 8t will be our end.
Lunch bucket Joe – “Darn it Hunter, there goes our Ukrainian cash flows. What income streams can we get started to our personnel bank accounts from our South American friends?”
yeh, no matter when he scheduled SOU the media has to report on our running national disaster.
Communism ( ONE 1, Democracy 0 ) Khruschev said he would defeat the U.S from within without firing a shot. Thank your Democrats, the Media Print and TV, Big Tech, Big Corporation, Government Traitors, and 50 percent of the Voters. The NATO alliance now see a weak U.S. govt. and will not back us.
I wonder if biden will wear his stupid black face mask.? I wonder if biden will screw up his speech mumbling and fumbling? I wonder if pelosi will sit there looking like a fool ripping up a copy of bidens speech? I wonder if all the different groups in the audience will clap or not clap in unison like robots even if biden plays the fool? I wonder how all the networks will give their biased analysis after his speech? I wonder how biden will access his first-year performance in spite of his 34% approval rating? I wonder if biden will try to blame his failures, all of them on the Republicans and especially former President Trump? I wonder if I will take the time to watch this event?
“…that the American people are none too happy with the President or Congressional Democrats.” Actually, the American people, other than kool-ade drinking, uber left liberals, are none too happy with the President, Congressional Democrats AND Main Stream Media. That’s why readers are baling from the Times, Post, etc. in record numbers. Anyone notice how few viewers tune into CNN & MSNBC these days?
It is something for me to see things that I was told would happen as a child at church camp playing out right before my eyes. Most of this, including Covid-19 does not surprise me. What does is how gullible so many of my fellow Americans are. Trump was no angel, but he truly loves this country. How can you compare what Trump was able to accomplish working inside a hostile government (Dems and rhinos) with how Biden in such a short time has managed to destroy so much and so many? Yet this is the person that was supposed to bring the country together, heal our land, help those afflicted by the pandemic and further seek peace? Fs on all fronts Mr. President and now you are happy to host the beginning of WW3. Aren’t you just special?
One can only hope that the people rise up and figuratively throw the incredibly childish leftists completely out of power…….and doing so through the ballot box may very well be too late. They believe that January 6, 2020 was an insurrection? Wonder what they will be screaming when a real insurrection occurs……..one with Sandy Cortez actually at the Capital.
One way or the other this scum needs to have their heads put on pikes.
Someone replied that “Trump was no angel”, well how did both Russia and China behave when the “non Angel” was in office? How many countries did either invade? What happened IMMEDIATELY after the non Angel was…….questionably removed from office? Bye bye Hong Kong…..now bye bye Ukraine and soon, bye bye Taiwan.
We need a strong leader in leadership not some weak simpering Alzheimic old crook and no, not even an Angel.
For the media to abandon him in droves would be a dream come true.
Is this the “worm turning?”
lets make press secretary, Jen Psaki. pres as she answers question or not
The world is running out of time and Sleepy Joe is running out of brain cells. He has to be down to his last few. His talks are making less sense than ever. Having a moron for a president on top of his being a feckless coward unable to deter any threat is a double whammie. Putin & Xi laugh themselves to sleep every night because they are so delighted that he is president.
We all need to remember that there is a clause in the “Build Back Better” bill that would have paid half of all media’s salaries. To turn against Sleepy Joe and his handlers would mean a loss of income for all media members!!
That is NOT the news media– those are the Dim-Wit’s band wagon. There is only one person in DC that lies more than Buck Fiden and that is Piss-LacK-E. Biden is having to change his Depends more often and this red headed witch provides this service.
It appears to be getting harder and harder to defend the indefensible. No one with an IQ above 30 believes anything Jen Psaki tries to spin. Watching this administration try to repair the damage they have committed is like watching two drunks arguing over their bar tab on the Titanic.
How in the world did the socialist left lose the media? When the very people the media controls start to wake up, even the liberal media can’t contain the truth. All the lies and deception are coming to light folks. Lies upon lies don’t make a truth. The unraveling continues. Will the American people have the wisdom to make a change in November? Time will tell.
Fat chance of that happening. How about hiring some real journalists and giving us the truth about what they are up to
The Biden Administration and Psaki and the Socialist RADICAL DEMS are sick , sick , people ! Will the complicit media endorse the truth ???? I’m not sure!!!!!!
So all of the MSM has now come to the conclusion that they were wrong in calling the rest of us conspiracy theorists.
Make no mistake that while some in the MSM may be softening their unwavering lapdog support for Biden, they are by no means abandoning him or his administration in droves. Some of these so-called journalists have to at least pretend they are covering the news in a semi-honest and unbiased fashion to maintain their marketability for future job prospects down the road and whatever little credibility they may have with the public. When push comes to shove, the MSM will quickly and robotically fall right back into line when it comes to support for Biden or his administration against any Republican challenge at any level.
Even this morning, I was watching a number of networks to see how they were framing the Russian invasion of Ukraine and every single network was downplaying any incompetence or policy issues by Biden or his administration, that allowed this situation to manifest itself in the first place. So when push comes to shove, the MSM will snap right back into running cover for Biden and the Democrats. To think otherwise is merely wishful thinking. The sole purpose of the MSM is to act as the propaganda arm of the Democrat Party and to protect the Party’s members.
So glad to read of the media revolt among the Dems Hooray
Now for some laffs via SOU speech
Watch via NewsMax
Most of the press has been carrying Biden’s water from day 1. They even helped him get elected by ignoring legitimate news that was very damaging to his image and trustworthiness. On the other hand, most of the press slandered President Trump on a daily basis. The horrible hoax that President Trump was in collusion with the Russians was a constant reminder to the American people that President Trump was not to be trusted. Biden has repaid the soft treatment by the media by being snarky and complaining that the press is treating him harshly and unfairly. Biden’s incompetence in how he withdrew from Afghanistan was even too dysfunctional for the woke press. Biden was no longer the media’s darling. Biden’s refusal to take any responsibility for his many failures is finally turning off even such propaganda papers as The New York Times and The Washington Post. It appears that Biden’s State of the Union Address will be saturated with tales of fantasy and deceit. Tragically, most of the press will still refuse to honestly evaluate Joe Biden’s destructive incompetence.