Western Reader
Could the Biden administration resort to extreme measures to quell dissenting voices? This question hangs heavy in the air, following allegations by Simon Ateba, Chief White House Correspondent for Today News Africa.
Reporter Ateba Voices Concerns Over Safety, Suppression of Press Briefing Questions
During an exclusive interview with Vince Coglianese from the Daily Caller on Tuesday, Ateba confessed his fear of being targeted by the Biden administration.
He stated, “I don’t know if I’m safe, I don’t know if they’ll kill me, I don’t know what they will do next.”
Ateba’s concerns arise from his recurrent clashes with White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. He feels his attempts to hold the administration accountable are met with denial of a platform to voice his questions during press briefings.
Following a recent incident where Ateba was not allowed to ask his question, he was also ostensibly edited out of the official recording of the Tuesday briefing.
The White House has edited out every interaction between KJP and @simonateba from their YouTube livestream. pic.twitter.com/QxAgEWFItc
— Kevin McMahon (@Kevin__McMahon) June 26, 2023
A report from Fox News adds weight to Ateba’s claims, noting he hasn’t been allowed to ask a question in the press briefing room for nine months.
As these allegations simmer, questions about the extent to which the administration may go to mute its critics become increasingly pressing.
Ateba’s Fears of Covert Suppression and Security Breaches
Two contrasting videos encapsulate this exchange. The first video, presented from the administration’s perspective, appears to have edited out Ateba’s interaction.
In the unedited version, however, Ateba can clearly be heard accusing the White House of discrimination.
In a notably audible challenge, Ateba made his frustrations known, demanding, “Will you entertain questions from me? You’ve subjected me to a nine-month-long ordeal of discrimination. Isn’t it about time you addressed it?”
Jean-Pierre responded defensively, labeling Ateba as “incredibly rude” and even threatened to bring the press conference to an abrupt end.
Ateba fired back, asserting that Jean-Pierre was infringing upon his First Amendment rights, arguing, “You’re not giving freedom of the press.”
Simon Ateba is back at it again in the press briefing. pic.twitter.com/4BXTT4gfbw
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) June 26, 2023
In his interview with The Daily Caller, Ateba voiced his fears of the White House resorting to more covert and dubious methods to restrict his access.
He revealed, “They’re attempting to bar me from the briefing room. The lengths they might go to silence me remain uncertain. They could potentially breach my phone or laptop security. They might already have orchestrated actions against me that I’m yet to discover.”
This article appeared in Right Wing Insider and has been published here with permission.
Written by Western Reader
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