LA Times denies submitting questions to the White House ahead of press conference
PHOTO: The White House
The Los Angeles Times is denying submitting questions to the White House ahead of Wednesday's press conference after a photo of the president's cheat sheet showed a general summary of a question asked by the paper's reporter.
The vice president of communications for the Los Angeles Times, Hillary Manning, provided the following to statement to Fox News Digital: "Our reporter did not submit any questions in advance of the Q&A with President Biden. Courtney Subramanian covers the White House for the Los Angeles Times. As such, she is in regular contact with the White House press office seeking information for her reporting. You would have to ask the White House who prepared the document for the president and why they included that question."
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment but has yet to receive a response.
CNN White House correspondent Arlette Saenz and "CNN This Morning" host Kaitlan Collins noted Thursday on air that the LA Times said it did not submit questions to the White House ahead of time.
"It’s not uncommon for the White House to prepare these types of briefing materials for the president. But it’s the level of specificity that is in the spotlight in this moment. As you noted, that note card included the name and photo of a reporter and also a possible question. Now it’s worth noting that her question was not identical to what was on that note card. And her outlet said that they did not submit any questions to the White House ahead of this press conference. But we have seen the president in the past carrying around these note cards with details about the events, where he needs to go, the people that he’s meeting with," Saenz told Collins.
Saenz also claimed Republicans have "seized" on the incident "as they tried to highlight President Biden’s age."
Collins noted that the White House "did have a press conference yesterday" as there have been "historically few" press conferences from the president.
During a panel discussion on "CNN This Morning" about questions surrounding Biden's age, CNN's John Avalon said the president's response to a question about his age during the press conference was not very "artful."
"And it doesn’t help matters when, you know, you see him getting cheat sheets for questions and interviews and things like that. He’s been a consequential president. This is a legitimate area of concern," Avalon said.
"What you’re referencing there is he was holding this card in that press conference yesterday that suggested one of the questions he was going to get from an LA Times reporter. The LA Times said the reporter did not submit it to the White House in advance, I don't think it's unusual for the White House to prepare briefing materials for the president," Collins added.
As Biden spoke alongside South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in the White House Rose Garden on Wednesday, a photographer captured a small cheat-sheet in the president's hand signaling he had advanced knowledge of a question from the LA Times' Courtney Subramanian. The small paper also included a picture of the reporter, along with the pronunciation breakdown of her last name. "Question #1" was handwritten at the top of the sheet, indicating the president should call on her first at the conclusion of his remarks.
"How are YOU squaring YOUR domestic priorities — like reshoring semiconductors manufacturing — with alliance-based foreign policy?" read the question in Biden's hand.
The LA Times reporter asked Biden, "Your top economic priority has been to build up U.S. domestic manufacturing in competition with China, but your rules against expanding chip manufacturing in China is hurting South Korean companies that rely heavily on Beijing. Are you damaging a key ally in the competition with China to help your domestic politics ahead of the election?"
In June, reporters captured a cheat sheet at a White House meeting with cabinet members detailing specific instructions for the president.
"YOU enter the Roosevelt Room and say hello to participants," the note card said. "YOU take YOUR seat."
Fox News Digital's Yael Halon contributed to this report.