Reporters attempted to shove their way into the Wednesday summit between President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Politico’s Anita Kumar wrote that the scene was chaotic almost from the very beginning, as American and Russian journalists jockeyed for position to enter the Villa La Grange, the site of the summit in Geneva, Switzerland. (RELATED: ‘Biden Acted Like Mr. Magoo On Magic Mushrooms’: Greg Gutfeld Says Optics Might Be Why He Won’t Do Joint Presser With Putin)
Chaotic scene outside the villa where Putin and Biden are meeting. Russian reporters are jostling for position and U.S. officials are telling them to stand back. pic.twitter.com/O7U3gviKxf
— Andrew Restuccia (@AndrewRestuccia) June 16, 2021
U.S. and Russian security forces stopped them and directed everyone to form single file lines. Instead, journalists and officials screamed as a Swiss official kept urging them to be quiet. The chaos continued until Russian security officials tightened the rope and pushed the journalists back, according to Kumar’s report.
Biden and Putin appeared to be amused by the scene.
Biden and Putin watch the media scuffle pic.twitter.com/8YB69A3Yvc
— Anita Kumar (@anitakumar01) June 16, 2021
Through it all, reporters continued to shout questions at Biden and Putin. One reporter asked whether Biden trusted Putin, and Kumar said Biden appeared to nod in response. White House press secretary Jen Psaki later clarified that he was not responding to a specific question but rather simply acknowledging the chaos as it unfolded.
“During a chaotic free for all with members of the press shouting questions over each other, the President gave a general head nod in the direction of the media. He wasn’t responding to any question or anything other than the chaos,” Psaki said.
Bloomberg’s Jennifer Jacobs asked Putin about imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny, but got no response other than a smile from Biden.
I yelled to Putin why do you fear navalny so much. Putin heard me and didn’t answer. Biden flashed me a big toothy grin. pic.twitter.com/Z8pFbPDgtO
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) June 16, 2021
US press asked Biden if he trusted Putin and @potus nodded yes.
Reporters again asked Putin why do you fear Navalny, and what’d you if Ukraine joined NATO. No Putin answer.
via @JonLemire (1/2 of US traveling pool didn’t get access due to Russia press and security shoving us) pic.twitter.com/SuwRDNul2z
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) June 16, 2021
American journalists said that it was primarily Russian security getting physical with reporters. Russian security yelled at journalists to get out of the room, and began pushing them, according to the TV pool report. That was met with screams from U.S. journalists and White House officials, telling Russian security to stop touching them.
The Associated Press’ Jonathan Lemire shared a photo of the reporters being pushed out of the area.
“Scene from the fracas earlier at the Biden-Putin summit here in Geneva, with Russian security forces pushing me out while President Biden looks on,” he tweeted.
Scene from the fracas earlier at the Biden-Putin summit here in Geneva, with Russian security forces pushing me out while President Biden looks on
Photo: @b_smialowski pic.twitter.com/STkXXXhvU6
— Jonathan Lemire (@JonLemire) June 16, 2021
WATCH:
Eventually, nine U.S. journalists and an unknown number of Russia journalists were allowed inside the villa’s library where Biden and Putin were seated.