Today News Africa reporter Simon Ateba tore into White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre Monday for refusing to call on him in the briefing room after officials gave an audience to the cast of "Ted Lasso."
The cast of "Ted Lasso," including Jason Sudeikis and Hannah Waddingham, joined the White House briefing to speak about mental health. With the Hollywood cast standing behind Jean-Pierre, Ateba began yelling.
Ateba, who has repeatedly clashed with Jean-Pierre, said he has been unable to ask a question in seven months. The reporter repeatedly has claimed that the White House has discriminated against him and other reporters. He was scolded by the press secretary last year for interrupting a briefing after he said another reporter had a right to ask Dr. Anthony Fauci about the origins of COVID-19.
Monday's incident with Ateba was condemned by Jean-Pierre and fellow journalists. He remained defiant in an interview on "Tucker Carlson Tonight."
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"The First Amendment protects the freedom of speech, the press and assembly, and the right to petition your government to seek redress. And that First Amendment says that I have the right to ask a question to do my job and the press secretary doesn't need to like me," Ateba explained to host Tucker Carlson.
"[She] doesn't need to like me, date me, marry me... have two Black children with me. She doesn't need all that. She doesn't even need to like my accent, doesn't need to like what I look like [or] where I come from."
Ateba argued that the White House "looks down" on him and "doesn’t respect" the First Amendment.
"So what has been happening in the White House is in the past seven months, I've done all the right things. I've not been called on. I've gone to [Jean-Pierre’s] office to seek meetings. She said that she would meet with me next year," he said.
"I've sent questions about the Nigerian election, about, you know, the problems, challenges in Africa. And they've not called on me. Even as the vice president is going to Africa, even as the first lady, Jill Biden, went to Africa, even went to receive 50 African leaders for the U.S. African summit in Washington, D.C. The guy who covers the White House, the African guy who covered the White House, is looked down upon in the greatest country in the world, in the most advanced country, where freedom of speech is protected."
Ateba told Carlson in early March he was being booted from the White House Correspondents' Association as retribution for asking Jean-Pierre tough questions.
The Today News Africa White House correspondent posted a letter on his Twitter account on March 3 from WHCA Executive Director Steven Thomma, who wrote Ateba's membership was being revoked over concerns with his employment qualifications and past behavior.
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"The committee noted repeated instances where your behavior violated the expectations for membership outlined in our bylaws, which have been detailed to you previously," the letter read.
Ateba believes the White House does not "respect" him as a reporter.
"You know, when it happens to Jim Acosta of CNN, because they respect him, he's white. He works for CNN. I'm Black. I'm African. I don't have money. They look down on me. I don't have the opportunities that they have. And they don't treat me the same way," he said.
"I need to do my job. The freedom of speech and the press in the US allows me to do my job. And that's the only thing that I'm trying to do. And they are stonewalling me, trying to help Karine Jean-Pierre. And it's a shame."
