During his first press conference as President-Elect on Tuesday, Joe Biden made sure to only take a few questions from reporters he knew would toss him softballs. Almost all of the questions were designed to tee up the Democrat to slam President Trump for not having conceded the race, despite votes still being counted in multiple states.
“I wonder if you have a message for the President, who may well be watching right now, and how do you expect to be able to work with Republicans when so many have thus far refused to even acknowledge your victory?,” asked NBC News correspondent Mike Memoli, a reliable Biden sycophant. In his follow-up, the hackish reporter fretted:
I also wonder, you warned during the campaign that as the walls closed in on the President, he would behave more erratically. Yesterday he fired his defense secretary on Twitter. Are you worried that he’s disabling the government? And what you are saying to the world leaders who are calling you at this point about the situation here?
Next came CNN’s Jeff Zeleny, who gently wondered: “If I could follow-up, without transition funding, will you be able to go through with the proper transition that’s needed? You would like to access to the PDB and will you authorize legal action or would that be too divisive, do you believe?”
ABC News correspondent Mary Bruce made sure to keep the focus on trashing Trump: “But to Jeff’s point, presumably at some point you will need access to more classified information to secure facilities and the like. What options are you considering? How will you move ahead if the President continues to refuse to concede?”
The Wall Street Journal's Josh Jamerson briefly moved away from Trump questions, instead hoping Biden would be able to help his fellow Democrats “flip the Senate”: “Do you plan to campaign in Georgia before the inauguration to help Democrats in the two runoff races there as they try to flip the Senate? And how important is a Democratic-held Senate to your agenda?”
The presser wrapped up with Meredith Newman of The News Journal, a local Delaware media outlet, asking: “Sir, what do you say to the Americans that are anxious over the fact that President Trump has yet to concede and what that might mean for the country?” She then worried: “And just a follow up on a previous question. How do you expect to work with Republicans if they won’t even acknowledge you as President-Elect?”
Not one of the so-called “journalists” bothered to press Biden on his agenda or what he planned to do to address crises like the coronavirus pandemic or ailing economy.
This is the easy treatment Biden can expect from a future White House press corps filled with his biggest supporters.
The special breaking news coverage did not have any commercial breaks, but you can fight back by letting top media advertisers know what you think of them sponsoring such a complicit leftist press.
Here is a transcript of the questions at the November 10 press conference:
2:42 PM ET
(...)
MIKE MEMOLI [NBC NEWS]: Thank you, Mr. President-Elect. During the campaign you said you were not naive about how difficult it would be to unite the country. It’s now three days after you were projected as the President-Elect. The President himself says he has won this election. His own administration has not moved forward to give you access to what you need to do to begin the work of your transition. Just a few minutes ago, the Secretary of State, when asked if he would cooperate with a smooth transition, he said there will be a smooth transition to a second Trump administration. I wonder if you have a message for the President, who may well be watching right now, and how do you expect to be able to work with Republicans when so many have thus far refused to even acknowledge your victory?
(...)
MEMOLI: Your response to Secretary Pompeo. And I also – I also wonder, you warned during the campaign that as the walls closed in on the President, he would behave more erratically. Yesterday he fired his defense secretary on Twitter. Are you worried that he’s disabling the government? And what you are saying to the world leaders who are calling you at this point about the situation here?
(...)
JEFF ZELENY [CNN]: Mr. President-Elect, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has suggested today that he may not recognize the outcome of this election until the Electoral College meets next month. Have you spoken to your long time friend in the Senate, Mr. McConnell? And what do you make of his specific comments over the last 24 hours?
(...)
ZELENY: If I could follow-up, without transition funding, will you be able to go through with the proper transition that’s needed? You would like to access to the PDB and will you authorize legal action or would that be too divisive, do you believe?
(...)
MARY BRUCE: Thank you, Mr. President-Elect and congratulations to you both. Have you tried to reach out at all to the President and if he is watching right now, what would you say to him?
JOE BIDEN: Mr. President, I look forward to speaking with you.
BRUCE: And you say that you are being able to move ahead without interruption. But to Jeff’s point, presumably at some point you will need access to more classified information to secure facilities and the like. What options are you considering? How will you move ahead if the President continues to refuse to concede?
(...)
BRUCE: But not ruling out legal action?
BIDEN: No, I don’t see a need for legal action, quite frankly.
(...)
JOSH JAMERSON [WALL STREET JOURNAL]: Thank you, Mr. President-Elect. Democrats are on track to lose a handful of seats in the House of Representatives. That could make it harder to pass legislation with just Democratic votes. I’m just curious, how does that impact your plans for what priorities you think you can get through this Congress, especially if the Senate remains in GOP control? And during the lame duck, will you be coordinating with Speaker Pelosi on how she should be negotiating with Republicans?
(...)
JAMERSON: But do you plan to be active in those negotiations, working with Speaker Pelosi to represent Democrats at the table?
(...)
JAMERSON: And then my second question was about the Senate. Do you plan to campaign in Georgia before the inauguration to help Democrats in the two runoff races there as they try to flip the Senate? And how important is a Democratic-held Senate to your agenda?
(...)
JAMERSON: And does a Democratic Senate help your cabinet chances? Does that change how you consider who you nominate to cabinet posts?
(...)
MEREDITH NEWMAN [THE NEWS JOURNAL]: Sir, what do you say to the Americans that are anxious over the fact that President Trump has yet to concede and what that might mean for the country?
(...)
NEWMAN: And just a follow up on a previous question. How do you expect to work with Republicans if they won’t even acknowledge you as President-Elect?
(...)
