Journalists’ group blasts White House for lack of press access during Quad summit

The White House Correspondents’ Association on Thursday issued a rare rebuke of the Biden administration, expressing frustration that reporters will be blocked from covering President Biden’s meetings with world leaders this weekend at his house in Wilmington, Delaware.

Mr. Biden will hold bilateral meetings with the heads of Australia, India and Japan for his final “Quad” summit, an alliance he boosted during his first year in office. The world leaders are set to arrive on Friday, and Mr. Biden will host the bilateral meetings at his Delaware home.

However, the White House has banned reporters from covering the meetings, citing security concerns over having journalists inside Mr. Biden’s residence. As of Thursday, the plan was to have reporters view the world leaders drive onto Mr. Biden’s property without any reporters watching the president. 

WHCA President Eugene Daniels of Politico on Thursday shared with reporters a text he sent to White House officials, objecting to journalists’ lack of access.

“I can’t remember a time where the president has had a bilateral meeting on U.S. soil and the press and therefore the American people were blocked from seeing it,” he wrote. “And the WHCA’s position is that shouldn’t be the case this time either.”

“We have talked through different scenarios and possibilities for the pool to be able to cover these moments. While we understand that there are security concerns, it’s essential for the public to have direct and independent press accounts of the greetings at the very least,” Mr. Daniels wrote. 

This is the second time in recent months that the WHCA has complained about the administration limiting questions. In June, the WHCA issued a statement scolding Mr. Biden after he complained that reporters are not asking questions on topics that he wants to talk about. The president said that reporters “never play by the rules” because they ask questions about topics that diverge from what he wants to talk about. 

The WHCA is composed of multiple news outlets that cover the White House and the president, including The Washington Times.