Biden ignores questions on classified documents, special counsel investigation
President Biden failed to acknowledge reporters' questions following a meeting with Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte.
A hot mic moment caught NBC News White House correspondent Peter Alexander complaining about President Joe Biden's refusal to answer questions after reporters repeatedly asked him to address the classified documents from his time as vice president that were recently found in his possession.
The press gathered in the Oval Office for Biden's bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Mark Rutte of the Netherlands on Tuesday. After the two leaders delivered brief remarks, reporters began hurling questions at the president in relation to the special counsel assigned to investigate the classified documents from his time as vice president that were recently found at his Delaware home and the Penn Biden Center in Washington, D.C.
"Will you commit to speak to the special counsel?" Alexander can be heard asking, referencing Robert Hur, who has been appointed special counsel to investigate the documents and how they were kept.
President Joe Biden (Anna Moneymaker / File)
Reporters were met with silence from the president, who watched as White House press staffers urgently rushed the media out of the room.
As he made his way toward the exit, a frustrated Alexander was caught on a hot mic venting to a colleague that Biden blew off his question while looking him "straight in the eye."
"I looked him straight in the eye and said it. He looked at me back and didn’t say a word," Alexander was heard saying. "'Will you commit to speak to the special counsel?' He looked at me, didn’t say a word."
President Joe Biden speaks to reporters. (Reuters / Kevin Lamarque / File)
The exchange marks the fourth time Biden disregarded questions on the matter since news of the documents broke. Last week, Biden refused to answer questions about the documents on Monday, Jan. 9. Then the following day, Jan. 10, the president did not acknowledge questions after his bilateral meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
On Friday, Jan. 13, Biden had a bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. At the conclusion of the meeting, reporters again shouted questions about the appointment of the special counsel. Biden appeared not to hear them as he shook hands with the prime minister for a photo opportunity.
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Biden did briefly acknowledge the matter on Thursday, Jan. 12, during an exchange with Fox News' Peter Doocy, who asked the president, "What were you thinking?" with regard to storing classified information in his personal garage.
Biden responded that the documents were stored next to his Corvette, adding, "By the way, my Corvette is in a locked garage."
Fox News' Ronn Blitzer contributed to this report.
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