Former Rare Staff
Since President Trump suggested getting rid of daily White House press briefings, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer has conducted more closed press briefings at a rate less frequent than many would like. Fox News Chief White House Correspondent John Roberts was so peeved that he walked out of a Tuesday press briefing being conducted by Deputy White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
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“John Roberts is bored today; he’s stepping out,” Sanders said as he stepped out.
“If it was on camera, I might not be,” he retorted.
Roberts later explained that he had to do a live shot since cameras were not allowed inside of the room:
To all who are musing over me leaving the @SHSanders45 Briefing…I have a live shot. Had the brief been on camera, it would 1/2
— John Roberts (@johnrobertsFox) July 18, 2017
Would have been on TV, not me. I would have waited until it was over.
— John Roberts (@johnrobertsFox) July 18, 2017
RELATED: Sean Spicer and a White House reporter had a brief squabble over the “no cameras” rule
Like several others, Roberts has shared his opposition to the change:
Today's @WhiteHouse is off camera. The last on-camera briefing was June 29th.
— John Roberts (@johnrobertsFox) July 18, 2017
Just last week, Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.) introduced the “Free Press Act” in response. The bill calls for the administration to conduct at least two on-camera press briefings a week.
