President Joe Biden will hold his presidency’s first solo press conference on Thursday afternoon – setting a new record for the longest time a commander-in-chief spent in the past century without formally speaking to the media.
Biden has spent more time than his 15 most recent predecessors – going back at least 100 years – without answering questions from journalists on an extensive official forum.
All 15 previous presidents gave a solo press conference 33 days after taking office, according to a CNN analysis of American Presidential Project data.
Former President Donald Trump gave his first solo press conference 27 days after taking office. Former President Barack Obama held a position for 20 days.
In his first 64 days in office, Biden responded to questions from passing reporters during brief meetings, usually before boarding a presidential plane or after official events had ended.
He had not, however, faced reporters alone in an extensive press since he became the leader of the free world.
Here’s what you need to know before Thursday’s presser:
Where to watch
The presser will run on all major TV news networks and will also be available for streaming through C-SPAN, PBS and YouTube, starting at 1:15 pm ET.
What to expect
During the 2020 presidential campaign, Biden faced criticism for his decision to campaign in Wilmington, Del., Casa.
The move, defended by Biden as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, has greatly reduced the press’s access to the Democratic presidential candidate.
Now at the White House, Biden seems to continue this trend.
His administration regularly uses COVID-19 as an explanation when reporters complain about the lack of access to the press.
The White House just said that the press will be “open to pre-accredited media”, which means that the reporters of your choice will be allowed to enter.
It is also unclear whether Biden will call from a prepared list of journalists.
Asked on Tuesday about how the 46th president was getting ready, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that Biden was “thinking about what he means, what he wants to convey, where he can provide updates and [is] looking forward to the opportunity to interact with a free press. “