Prior to White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany’s impassioned and lengthy denunciation of The Atlantic’s coordinated hit against the President, former acting DNI Richard Grenell eviscerating the White House press corps Friday afternoon after a briefing on a historic agreement between Kosovo and Serbia devolved into questions about topics such as The Atlantic story, mail-in voting, and Russia.
At one point, Grenell gave them the hard truth that they’re experiencing “a crisis” as “[p]eople aren’t listening to you anymore” because “you guys don’t understand what’s happening outside of Washington D.C.”
Grenell gave opening remarks alongside White House senior adviser Jared Kushner and National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien about the breakthrough in relations between the two Balkan countries, but reporters had other ideas.
Instead, roughly 12 out of the first 14 questions concerned topics other than Kosovo and Serbia (with a 13th being semi-related through the lens of presidents touting foreign policy accomplishments in reelection bids).
Kushner and O’Brien handled the questions, but when the New York Post’s Steven Nelson asked for Grenell to comment on another administration initiative he’s led in urging the world to decriminalize homosexuality, Grenell insisted that he only wanted to “talk about Serbia and Kosovo.”
After wondering whether Nelson could identify them on a map, Grenell turned his attention to the whole room, calling the questions “atrocious” and implored “older journalists” to recognize the seriousness of the issue he was there to discuss as an administration envoy.
“I'm astounded that what happens in Washington D.C. and especially this room. I got to tell you. Get substantive. Maybe it is too complicated of an issue for you all,” Grenell added.
That prompted Reuters’s Jeff Mason to insist that he “want[s] to talk about Kosovo,” but NBC White House correspondent Peter Alexander made no bones about how he didn’t particularly care: “But respectfully, this is the first time we've had the opportunity to speak with these individuals, so a lot of questions to address.”
Grenell responded by unloading on Alexander and pointing out what’s perfectly obvious to millions of Americans, but far too many D.C. reporters (and, we would add, those in New York) refuse to grasp (or, if they do, they blame us, the people, for the failures):
But today’s about Kosovo and Serbia. Let's take a little time and talk about this 21-year issue, Peter. I mean, 21 years. You -- we’re getting the same questions that are all politics. I don’t -- you guys don't understand what’s happening outside of Washington D.C. People aren't listening to you anymore. It -- it’s really a crisis in journalism and I think it’s because people are too young to understand issues like Kosovo and Serbia.
Mason had enough, responding Grenell’s scolding with this gripe that encapsulated the media’s refusal to look inward: “Alright, can I ask a request of you, please? I don’t think any of us came here for a lecture about our questioning.”
Seeing as how he’s no longer acting DNI and U.S. Ambassador to Germany, he reminded Mason that he “didn’t come here to not talk about anything but Kosovo and Serbia.”
Things pivoted back to the issue at hand, but remained testy (click “expand”):
MASON: Well, I didn’t come here to not talk about the question I would like to ask is, is it accurate that it’s full economic normalization? There was some ambiguity as to whether that is what the deal was about and ---
GRENELL: What? What do you mean by full?
MASON: --- well, that’s the question for you.
GRENELL: No, no, that’s a question for you. What’s your definition of full? This is economic normalization for whatever the two parties could bring together. A whole bunch on rail, a whole bunch on water, a whole bunch on a whol -- different industries, so –
MASON: So, more -- I hear, to say you are working towards economic normalization? Is that fair?
GRENELL: No. I think it’s incredible economic normalization. Air, water, rail, motor, opening borders -- a bunch of industries, so again, I don't know what is missing and I defer to you say what’s –
MASON: I wasn’t the one who negotiated it.
GRENELL: what’s -- what’s outside of – of economic normalization that’s not included here? You tell me.
MASON: I’m genuinely asking so that we can write our stories accurately.
GRENELL: Yeah.
MASON: Do we say that they ---
GRENELL: I would say economic normalizations.
MASON: -- achieved an economic normalization deal?
Mason’s adversarial questioning carried over to Bloomberg’s Justin Sink, who wanted to know “what has changed from, you know, a few months ago.” Grenell replied with a lengthy answer on what was going to change between Kosovo and Serbia (click “expand”):
A bunch of stuff changed today in terms of economic development, in terms of identification political problems that are going to be resolved. Yeah, I would really refer you to look at the entire agreement. One sticking point that has been, for a long time, something that the two sides couldn't agree on, the recognition of diplomas. If you were trained as a nurse in Serbia and your degree was from a Serbian university, you couldn't get a job in Kosovo because you weren't qualified, you didn't have the proper certificate. That now, with this agreement, goes away. That is economic normalization for people who have certificates in dental hygiene, in pharmacie -- pharmaceutical experts. There are a whole bunch of people who could not work simply because they did not have the proper career credentials and this agreement completely will recognize all diplomas from universities from either side.
I will give you one more example. American companies were telling us they were pulling out, like rental car companies, because if you rented a car in Kosovo, you couldn't drive over the border. You couldn't leave, so people who were wanting to go for tourist purposes or to visit the region or try to do business deals, they couldn't actually leave with that rental car and so we had American businesses beginning to pull back to say, it just doesn't make sense. The Europeans were complaining just as much. There was a perceived conflict, and I think what we have now with this historic air agreement, rail agreement, motor agreement, all the things that they’ve committed to implement will create normalized commerce and that has never been tried. We have been stuck on literally verbs and symbolism in terms of negotiations on politics. And we’re going to try something new.
By the time it was all said and done, there were at least 16 questions about Kosovo and Serbia after Grenell’s beatdown.
Since this was a White House Press Briefing, there were no corporate advertisers to link to. But for a list of some of the advertisers on liberal broadcast and cable networks, go here to check out the MRC’s Conservatives Fight Back page.
To see the relevant transcript from September 4’s briefing, click “expand.”
White House Press Briefing
September 4, 2020STEVEN NELSON: Ambassador Grenell, clearly you were effective here as the special envoy to these talks between Serbia and Kosovo. But I wanted to ask you about another initiative you led. Last year, you kicked off the Trump administration’s push to decriminalize homosexuality.
RICHARD GRENELL: Let me just talk about Serbia and Kosovo. I don’t even know if you can find it on a map, but this is atrocious. I have to tell you guys. You might be too young to understand what this issue is about. Maybe the older journalists should step up and say, this is a big deal. This is a big issue. I'm astounded that what happens in Washington D.C. and especially this room. I got to tell you. Get substantive.
JEFF MASON: I want to talk about Kosovo.
GRENELL: Maybe it is too complicated of an issue for you all.
PETER ALEXANDER: But respectfully, this is the first time we've had the opportunity to speak with these individuals, so a lot of questions to address.
GRENELL: But today’s about Kosovo and Serbia. Let's take a little time and talk about this 21-year issue, Peter. I mean, 21 years. You -- we’re getting the same questions that are all politics. I don’t -- you guys don't understand what’s happening outside of Washington D.C. People aren't listening to you anymore. It -- it’s really a crisis in journalism and I think it’s because people are too young to understand issues like Kosovo and Serbia.
MASON: Alright, can I ask a request of you, please? I don’t think any of us came here for a lecture about our questioning.
GRENELL: Well, I didn’t come here to not talk about –
MASON: But the question I would like to ask of you –
GRENELL: -- anything but Kosovo and Serbia.
MASON: -- the question I would like to ask is, is it accurate that it’s full economic normalization? There was some ambiguity as to whether that is what the deal was about and ---
GRENELL: What? What do you mean by full?
MASON: --- well, that’s the question for you.
GRENELL: No, no, that’s a question for you. What’s your definition of full? This is economic normalization for whatever the two parties could bring together. A whole bunch on rail, a whole bunch on water, a whole bunch on a whol -- different industries, so --
MASON: So, more -- I hear, to say you are working towards economic normalization? Is that fair?
GRENELL: No. I think it’s incredible economic normalization. Air, water, rail, motor, opening borders -- a bunch of industries, so again, I don't know what is missing and I defer to you say what’s --
MASON: I wasn’t the one who negotiated it.
GRENELL: what’s -- what’s outside of – of economic normalization that’s not included here? You tell me.
MASON: I’m genuinely asking so that we can write our stories accurately.
GRENELL: Yeah.
MASON: Do we say that they ---
GRENELL: I would say economic normalizations.
MASON: -- achieved an economic normalization deal?
JUSTIN SINK: What has changed from, you know, a few months ago when they pulled down the tariffs to today. What is the substantive difference?
GRENELL: Have you read the agreement?
SINK: You haven’t put the agreement up.
GRENELL: It’s up. A whole bunch. A whole bunch has changed since the dropping of the tariffs. The tariffs were the political sticking point of why we couldn't have the parties come together. The Serb side wasn't going to even start negotiations when there’s a 100% tariff from the Kosovos.
SINK: Sure, so what’s the substantive thing that changed today?
GRENELL: There’s --
SINK: Like what actual ---
GRENELL: A bunch of stuff changed today in terms of economic development, in terms of identification political problems that are going to be resolved. Yeah, I would really refer you to look at the entire agreement. One sticking point that has been, for a long time, something that the two sides couldn't agree on, the recognition of diplomas. If you were trained as a nurse in Serbia and your degree was from a Serbian university, you couldn't get a job in Kosovo because you weren't qualified, you didn't have the proper certificate. That now, with this agreement, goes away. That is economic normalization for people who have certificates in dental hygiene, in pharmacie -- pharmaceutical experts. There are a whole bunch of people who could not work simply because they did not have the proper career credentials and this agreement completely will recognize all diplomas from universities from either side.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Can you --
GRENELL: I will give you one more example. American companies were telling us they were pulling out, like rental car companies, because if you rented a car in Kosovo, you couldn't drive over the border. You couldn't leave, so people who were wanting to go for tourist purposes or to visit the region or try to do business deals, they couldn't actually leave with that rental car and so we had American businesses beginning to pull back to say, it just doesn't make sense. The Europeans were complaining just as much. There was a perceived conflict, and I think what we have now with this historic air agreement, rail agreement, motor agreement, all the things that they’ve committed to implement will create normalized commerce and that has never been tried. We have been stuck on literally verbs and symbolism in terms of negotiations on politics. And we’re going to try something new.
