During a rare Biden White House press conference with a foreign leader (this time, it was Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese), the two pre-selected American reporters — USA Today’s Joey Garrison and PBS’s Laura Barrón-López — promoted leftist narratives, whether it’s attacking Republicans as responsible for America to hemorrhage its global standing, suggesting the GOP would prevent a Biden reelection, or peddling Hamas propaganda.
Garrison went first and, after questions to President Biden about the hunt for 200-plus hostages held by Hamas, he used his question to Albanese to trash the GOP as causing America to be seen as distracted, disloyal, and unreliable.
“President Biden cancelled his may trip to Australia because of debt ceiling talks in Congress to avoid a first ever default here in the U.S.,” Garrison began before pivoting to the current scene with the House having gone just over three weeks without a speaker.
Garrison wondered if, taken together, Albanese was “worried that the gridlock in Washington will hold up the transfer of nuclear powered subs to Australia as part of the AUKUS agreement and” if “the dysfunction makes the U.S. a less reliable partner.”
Albanese shot this nonsense down, calling the U.S. “a very reliable partner” and his rapport with Biden “as second to none” with “very broad support” in both parties “for the AUKUS arrangements” between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the U.S. on a security partnership.
Using her perch at a taxpayer-funded outlet to spew hatred against half the country, Barrón-López hit Biden from the left and tore into new Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson (R-LA): “Johnson advocated conspiracy theories about voting machines and a rigged election in 2020. He encouraged his colleagues to join a lawsuit to invalidate the results of four states.”
Barrón-López grasped at straws with this liberal conspiracy theory about January 2025: “So, if you win reelection in 2024, are you worried that a Speaker Johnson would, again, attempt to overturn the election?”
Biden vehemently denied it: “No. Because he cannot...There are about 60 lawsuits all the way to the Supreme Court, and every time they lost. I understand the Constitution.”
She used her other question to Biden in order to stand up for Hamas, fretting that, “in the 18 days since Hamas killed 1,400 Israelis, the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry says Israeli forces have killed over 6,000 Palestinians including 2,700 children.”
Treating this dubious claim as fact, she wondered if “these numbers say...that” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is “ignoring” the “message” of Biden “to minimize civilian casualties” in Gaza.
Biden, to his credit, didn’t bite: “What they say to me is I have no notion that the Palestinians are telling the truth about how many people are killed. I'm sure innocents have been killed, and it's the price of waging a war...I have no confidence in the number that the Palestinians are using.”
To see the relevant transcript from the October 25 press conference, click “expand.”
White House press conference [via ABC News Live subfeed]
October 25, 2023
2:10 p.m. EasternJOEY GARRISON [TO PRIME MINISTER ALBANESE]: President Biden cancelled his may trip to Australia because of debt ceiling talks in Congress to avoid a first ever default here in the U.S. More recently, congressional action has stalled as House Republicans try to pick a speaker. However, it does appear, since we have — now hear that the House has elected a congressman, Mike Johnson from Louisiana, to that role. But are you worried that the gridlock in Washington will hold up the transfer of nuclear powered subs to Australia as part of the AUKUS agreement, and are you worried the dysfunction makes the U.S. a less reliable partner?
AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER ANTHONY ALBANESE: I regard the United States as a very reliable partner and I regard the relationship I have with the President as second to none. Other relationships that I have around the world or indeed domestically, for that matter. It's a — it’s relationship of trust. And I think this visit symbolizes that. This is the ninth visit that I’ve had with President Biden. I got to meet President Biden when he was Vice President Biden just next door here some years ago, and I'm very confident in the discussions that I've had with Democrats and Republicans that there is very broad support for the AUKUS arrangements, and there will be legislation going forward, and that would be a very good thing. It's in the interest of Australia but also in the interest of the United States, and everyone that I have spoken to similarly in the United Kingdom, across the political spectrum are all supportive of the AUKUS arrangements.
(....)
2:15 p.m. Eastern
LAURA BARRÓN-LÓPEZ: After 22 days, House Republicans just elected Mike Johnson of Louisiana as the Speaker of the House. Johnson advocated conspiracy theories about voting machines and a rigged election in 2020. He encouraged his colleagues to join a lawsuit to invalidate the results of four states. So, if you win reelection in 2024, are you worried that a Speaker Johnson would, again, attempt to overturn the election?
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: No.
BARRÓN-LÓPEZ: Why not?
BIDEN: Because he cannot. Look, just like I was not worried that the last guy would be able overturn the election. There are about 60 lawsuits all the way to the Supreme Court, and every time they lost. I understand the Constitution.
BARRÓN-LÓPEZ: And then, if I may very quickly, in the 18 days since Hamas killed 1,400 Israelis, the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry says Israeli forces have killed over 6,000 Palestinians including 2,700 children. You've previously asked Netanyahu to minimize civilian casualties, do these numbers say to you that he's ignoring that message?
BIDEN: What they say to me is I have no notion that the Palestinians are telling the truth about how many people are killed. I'm sure innocents have been killed, and it's the price of waging a war. I think we should be incredibly careful. I think — not we — the Israelis should be incredibly careful to be sure that they're focusing on going after the folks that are propagating this war against Israel, and it’s against their interest when that doesn’t happen, but I have no confidence in the number that the Palestinians are using.
BARRÓN-LÓPEZ: Thank you, Mr. President.
