A former spokesman for President Obama called it “embarrassing” that President Trump declined to take questions from reporters on Thursday during his first visit to China.
“The Chinese try this every time. It’s a test of will and principle. Letting them dictate press access is an embarrassing capitulation,” Jay Carney tweeted.
“I once had to tell Chinese officials that Pres. Obama would not show up for the press avail unless there would be a Q&A. They backed down.”
{mosads}During an appearance Thursday alongside his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, Trump declined to take questions from reporters. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said it was “at the Chinese insistence there were no questions today.”
CNN reported that Obama did not take questions during his first visit to China, but former presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton did.
Trump often rails on the media, accusing networks and reporters of publishing “fake news.”
He is currently on an Asia-Pacific trip during which he is meeting with regional leaders with a heavy emphasis on curbing North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs.