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Is President Joe Biden<\/a> treating the press<\/a> better than former President Donald Trump<\/a> did? <\/p>\n It\u2019s a low bar to argue he doesn\u2019t describe the media as \u201cenemies of the people.\u201d Is he really treating them as they view themselves\u2014as representatives of the people? Or is he not interested in addressing the people? Are they all too negative?<\/p>\n Ben Smith at Semafor reported on the White House holiday party for journalists, described as a chance \u201cto dispel his main problem with the U.S. media<\/a> right now\u2014the undercurrent of concern that he\u2019s too old for the job. It was an opportunity to say, in some sense: Hey, you idiots, I may be old, but I\u2019m fine<\/em>.\u201d <\/p>\n Smith wrote that Biden made brief remarks at the East Wing party, \u201cwhich began with the usual joke\u2014I\u2019m for a free press, even when you drive me crazy.<\/em> But he then strayed into a couple of hazy monologues, which ended only when his wife interrupted him to remind him it was a party.\u201d<\/p>\n This is why Biden\u2019s aides are always keeping the Hazy Monologues President away from reporters. Smith concluded: \u201cI\u2019d expect that speech to echo quietly in reporters\u2019 minds\u2014and in their coverage\u2014over the coming months.\u201d<\/p>\n In mid-December, the number of solo presidential press conferences this year is just three. When Biden grants a television interview, to Scott Pelley at \u201c60 Minutes\u201d or to Nicolle Wallace, you can guess that the interviewers have promised Team Biden that Old Joe won\u2019t get any tough questions. Instead, they ask him to explain how the Republicans are a dangerous pile of extremists.<\/p>\n Ask something negative, and he gets cranky, like telling Fox\u2019s Peter Doocy \u201cI knew you\u2019d have a lousy question\u201d (because it was about Hunter Biden).<\/p>\n Alex Thompson at Axios filed a piece quoting White House insiders who say Biden has a \u201cHunter trigger,\u201d that only longtime aides feel they can withstand the president\u2019s fury or dejection at the subject. Reporters receive the fury when they ask, so he\u2019s told not to answer questions, or announces he has a list, authorized by some authority, of reporters that he\u2019s told to call on.<\/p>\n Then consider that as president, Biden has never granted an interview to White House reporters for major newspapers like The New York Times and The Washington Post. (AP reporter Josh Boak muddled through a Pelley\/Wallace-style interview.)<\/p>\n The White House complains about negative coverage, but the old media are still overwhelmingly protective<\/a>. His gaffes are routinely ignored. On Dec. 8, the Republican National Committee tweeted out video of the president saying, \u201cOver a billion, three hundred million trillion three hundred million dollars!\u201d <\/p>\n ABC, CBS and NBC don\u2019t share embarrassing outbursts like those. Even their late-night comedians generally skip those.<\/p>\n Trump runs circles around Biden in granting access to TV and print outlets. Nobody in his circle seems to restrict his access or protect him from outbursts and gaffes. The pro-Biden outlets thrive on his comments, like the \u201cdictator for a day\u201d joke to Sean Hannity.<\/p>\n The media claim they are the guardians of democracy, but they\u2019ve shown zero interest in Biden doing a debate with Democratic presidential rivals Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota or Marianne Williamson. The public tells pollsters they\u2019d like to see Biden debate. But reporters like to pretend that there are no primary elections for Democrats this time.<\/p>\n When it comes to taking questions, Biden is the bumper-bowling President. Every bowling ball he throws will score because no one allows a gutter ball. That leaves the impression that Biden\u2019s not running the country as much as other people are running Biden.<\/p>\n COPYRIGHT 2023 CREATORS.COM<\/p>\n The Daily Signal publishes a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Heritage Foundation.<\/em><\/p>\n Have an opinion about this article? To sound off, please email\u00a0letters@DailySignal.com<\/a>,\u00a0and we\u2019ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular \u201cWe Hear You\u201d feature. Remember to include the URL or headline of the article plus your name and town and\/or state.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n