US President Joe Biden was found to have brought a cheat sheet to a Wednesday press conference, revealing advance knowledge of Los Angeles Times reporter Courtney Subramanian's question. The cheat sheet included her photograph, pronunciation guide for her name, and the specific question that she would ask.
White House pool photographer Oliver Contreras captured similar cheat sheets during the event. These sheets contained headshot photos of attending reporters along with numbers circled by each reporter's photo whom President Biden planned on calling upon.
This follows previous instances where President Biden has been caught using crib notes during public appearances. In July 2021, a staff member handed him a note stating: "Sir, there is something on your chin." Additionally, within two weeks of his administration beginning in January 2021, some journalists raised concerns about White House press office staffers attempting to obtain their questions ahead of briefings. Several experienced White House correspondents later confirmed via Twitter that giving the press office advanced notice about topics is considered normal practice.
During Wednesday's joint press conference, one prewritten journalist question appeared as "Question #1" on President Biden's cheat sheet. He followed the script and called on Courtney Subramanian first. Some White House reporters expressed disgust over the president using an approved list of ten pre-selected journalists during this rare November press conference.
In June 2022, another instance occurred where the president held a note card detailing bullet point instructions at a press conference. This long-standing practice dates back to early days in his presidency when aides prepared 'cheat sheets' containing predetermined lists of which reporters he should call upon or potential talking points for events such as ceremonies at the White House.
President Biden’s use of these aids continues to fuel criticism regarding his limited engagement with media since taking office in January 2021. As he prepares for future events like Thursday’s Take Your Child To Work Day celebration on the South Lawn, it remains to be seen if this trend will continue.