During Biden’s first press conference, not a single question regarding the coronavirus was asked. While the left’s reaction mostly still revolves around Trump, the right was outraged at what they call “softball questions.”
Summary
During his first press conference, President Biden, a former senator for decades, was asked about the current push to eliminate the filibuster, and his answer towed a careful line but was open to changes because the procedural tool was being “abused in a gigantic way”.
- Biden opened his press conference with an update on coronavirus vaccinations and doubling his goal to 200 million vaccinations by his first 100 days in office (This was the only mention of the coronavirus pandemic).
- The President leaned on a few rhetorical flourishes, comparing Chinese president Xi Jinping to Vladmir Putin and Republican efforts on election reforms to the Jim Crow era, saying “it makes Jim Crow look like Jim Eagle.”
- Questions regarding the troop drawdown in Afghanistan and his candidacy for the 2024 election were also asked.
- Vox wrote a rundown of “winners” and “losers” from the press conference, with a “return to normalcy” being declared a big winner, comparing Biden’s performance to that of former President Trump.
- Huffington Post was even more obsessed with Trump, writing an entire article about a single five-word phrase President Biden uttered in jest referencing his predecessor.
- Slate made fun of its liberal teammate CNN for their reporter’s questions about Biden’s re-election campaign, saying CNN’s questions were “purely a waste of time.”
- Biden’s answers about the Senate’s filibuster anchored OANN’s writeup, casting shade on him for using “Democrat talking points” regarding the filibuster being a “legislative tool rooted in racism.”
- The Federalist blasted Biden for using a pre-selected list of reporters from whom to answer questions, while also excoriating the reporters’ questions, particularly Yamiche Alcindor of PBS who asked the President to comment on illegal immigrants’ intentions to enter the United States because he is a ‘moral, decent man.”
- Townhall.com similarly criticized the “mostly softball questions” while emphasizing the fact that Fox News’ Peter Doocy was shut out from asking a question.
Return to Freespoke 
© Dallas Gerber, 2021
