>> Bill: BIDEN EXPECTED TO LEAVE
THE WHITE HOUSE ANY MOMENT NOW
FLYING TO BELFAST, NORTHERN
IRELAND.
AUDIBLE GROWNS FROM THE WHITE
HOUSE WHEN THE PRESS SECRETARY
SAID THE PRESIDENT WOULD NOT
HOLD A NEWS CONFERENCE WHEN HE
IS IN IRELAND.
>> Dana: RIDICULOUS.
>> Bill: THERE WAS THIS
EXCHANGE.
GIVE IT A LISTEN.
>> ANY INTERACTION IN A FORMAL
SETTING TO HAVE A PRESS
CONFERENCE.
>> I MEAN, THE PRESIDENT TAKES
SHOUTED QUESTIONS.
>> THIS IS NOT THE NORM.
>> I’LL SAY THIS.
IT IS ALSO UNPRECEDENTED THAT A
PRESIDENT TAKES AS MANY SHOUTED
QUESTIONS AS THIS PRESIDENT HAS.
AND HE HAS.
>> NO, NO.
ALMOST EVERY DAY THE FORMER
ADMINISTRATION.
>> Bill: IF THEY AIN’T BUYING
IT, NO ONE IS BUYING IT.
KARL, HOW ARE YOU DOING?
HE IS WITH US NOW.
I WOULD THINK, IF YOU GO TO
IRELAND TODAY, THEY STILL HAVE
BARS NAMED AFTER KENNEDY FROM
HIS VISIT IN THE 1960s.
IF YOU ARE AN AMERICAN
PRESIDENT, THIS IS THE COUNTRY
YOU GO TO TO FEEL GOOD, RIGHT?
WHETHER IT WAS KENNEDY, WHETHER
IT WAS REAGAN, WHETHER IT WAS
OBAMA.
IF YOU ARE GOING TO MEET A
FRIENDLY AUDIENCE, IRELAND IS
YOUR PLACE, KARL.
>> WELL, EXCEPT THE FRIENDLY
AUDIENCE WOULD BE THE U.S. PRESS
CORPS WHICH IS NOT ALL THAT
FRIENDLY GIVEN HOW THEY HAVE
BEEN TREATED.
THIS WAS THE WORST PERFORMANCE
SINCE SEAN SPICER SAID THE
LARGEST AUDIENCE, CROWD IN
HISTORY WAS PRESENT FOR DONALD
TRUMP’S INAUGURATION.
AND THIS WAS DREADFUL.
HE IS GOING ABROAD.
HE WILL BE IN IRELAND.
THERE ARE IMPORTANT ISSUES
THERE.
HE IS GOING THERE TO CELEBRATE
THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE
ACCORD THAT BROUGHT PEACE TO
IRELAND TO THE ISLAND OF IRELAND
BETWEEN NORTHERN IRELAND AND THE
COUNTRY OF IRELAND.
THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH IT.
HE IS MEETING WITH ALL FIVE
PARTIES.
PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT
HE IS THINKING ABOUT IT.
WE HAVE A MASSIVE LEAK OF U.S.
INTELLIGENCE WHICH HAS GRAVE
RAMIFICATIONS FOR NATIONAL
SECURITY AND FOR ONGOING
CONFLICT IN UKRAINE.
PEOPLE WANT TO FIND OUT WHERE
THE PRESIDENT IS ON IT.
TAKING SHOUTED QUESTIONS, COME
ON, PLEASE.
THAT AIN’T THE WAY TO CONDUCT
THE BUSINESS OF THE PRESIDENCY
OF THE UNITED STATES.
IT IS STRANGE AND IT LEADS US TO
WONDER WHY.
I KNOW WHY.
THEY DON’T WANT TO PUT HIM IN
THAT SETTING BECAUSE IT WOULD
SHOW THAT HIS AGE IS SHOWING, HE
IS NOT ABLE TO HANDLE THAT KIND
OF A PRESSURE PARTICULARLY WHEN
HE IS ON A FOREIGN TRIP AND OUT
OF KILTER BECAUSE OF THE
DIFFERENCE IN TIME ZONES.
FIVE HOURS DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
WASHINGTON AND IRELAND.
>> Dana: JUST TAKE A LOOK AT
THIS.
THESE NUMBERS WON’T BE A
SURPRISE.
THE NUMBER OF PRESS CONFERENCES
THAT PAST PRESIDENTS HAVE HAD AT
THIS POINT IN THEIR PRESIDENCY.
HE IS WAY DOWN AT 23.
EVERYBODY ELSE WAS UP 41.
ONE AT 92.
TO HER POINT ABOUT THAT HE TAKES
SHOUTED QUESTIONS.
IF THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS
SECRETARY AND COMS TEAM THINK IT
IS EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION THEY
OUGHT TO BE ON THIS SIDE
LISTENING IN.
YOU CAN’T HEAR THE PRESIDENT
EPISCOPAL WILL I WHEN HE TRIES
TO DO IT AS MARINE ONE IS
GEARING UP TO TAKE HIM TO
ANDREWS.
YOU CAN’T UNDERSTAND ANYTHING
THEY ARE SAYING.
EVEN IF HE IS TAKING SHOUTED
QUESTIONS THEY BURY IT.
WHAT ABOUT THE RETURN TO NORMS.
I THOUGHT WE WOULD RETURN TO
NORMAL.
THE NORMAL THING IS WHEN A
PRESIDENT GOES ON A FOREIGN TRIP
OR INVITES A FOREIGN LEADER TO
THE WHITE HOUSE, HE TAKES --
THEY TAKE TWO QUESTIONS APIECE.
I DON’T UNDERSTAND.
I UNDERSTAND THE WHITE HOUSE
PRESS CORPS IS UPSET BUT NOT
RAISING THE RUCKUS I WOULD
EXPECT.
>> WE DON’T SEE A LOT OF THESE.
A LOT OF THE SHOUTED QUESTIONS
TURN INTO A BRIEF PARAGRAPH IN A
PRINT ARTICLE BUT THEY DON’T
TURN INTO LIVE TELEVISION FOR
EXACTLY THE REASON YOU TALKED
ABOUT.
ALSO BECAUSE IN MOST INSTANCES,
THE PRESIDENT’S RESPONSE NEEDS
TO BE CLEANED UP BY THE WHITE
HOUSE PRESS OPERATION.
TAKE EVEN THE CONVERSATION YOU
HAD WITH AL ROKER WHERE HE SAYS
I’M PLANNING TO RUN.
HE HAS HAD SO FEW NEWS
CONFERENCES AND HE HAS NOT
ADDRESSED ISSUES SO INFREQUENTLY
THAT SUDDENLY THAT BECOMES A BIT
OF NEWS AND THE WHITE HOUSE HAS
TO SAY WELL IT WAS NOT A FORMAL
DECLARATION, BLAH BLAH BLAH.
SO I AGREE WITH YOU, HE WOULD BE
BETTER OFF, THE COUNTRY WOULD BE
BETTER OFF BY HIM HAVING REGULAR
NEWS CONFERENCES AND THE FACT HE
DOESN’T HAVE THEM AND IT’S NOT
NORMAL FOR HIM TO DO WHAT HE IS
DOING RAISES QUESTIONS AS TO
WHY.
WE HAVE TO END UP WITH ONE
THING, WHICH IS HE IS SURROUNDED
BY PEOPLE WHO DON’T THINK HE IS
UP FOR THE NORMAL PROCESS OF
BEING PRESIDENT AND THAT’S
TROUBLESOME FOR THE COUNTRY.
>> Bill: YOU ARE SAYING IT IS A
COMPETENCY ISSUE.
>> YEAH, SURE.
THEY’RE WORRIED ABOUT HIM.
>> Bill: MAYBE THAT’S IT OR
MAYBE RUNNING FROM SOMETHING.
FOX DIGITAL POSTED AN HOUR AGO
HUNTER BIDEN’S BUSINESS PARTNERS
AND ASSISTANTS VISITED THE WHITE
HOUSE MORE THAN 80 TIMES WHILE
HE WAS VICE PRESIDENT.
THAT’S SOMETHING.
>> YEAH.
WELL, THEY DON’T WANT HIM TO
ANSWER TOUGH QUESTIONS.
JUST THINK ABOUT THE CURRENT
CONTROVERSIES.
LOOK WHAT IS DOMINATING THE NEWS
THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS.
THE LEAK OF U.S. INTELLIGENCE
REPORTS.
MAYBE THEY ARE WORRIED ABOUT HIM
HANDLING EVEN THINGS LIKE THAT
THAT ARE SORT OF A MOMENT OF
CRISIS THAT EVERY PRESIDENT HAS
TO DEAL WITH.
WHAT ARE THEY AFRAID OF HIM
HAVING A NEWS CONFERENCE IN
IRELAND ABOUT?
HE WILL BE TALKING WITH THE FIVE
PARTIES TRYING TO REENERGIZE
SUPPORT FOR THE PEACE AGREEMENT.
WHY AREN’T WE HEARING HIM DO
THAT PUBLICLY?
I THINK IT IS BECAUSE THEY ARE
WORRIED ABOUT WHAT THE PRESIDENT
MIGHT SAY AND HOW HE MIGHT
HANDLE IT AND HOW IT WOULD
IMPACT PEOPLE.
>> Dana: IT IS NOT RIGHT AND NOT