Obama Confronts Questioner Asking Why He Favors Foreigners
President Barack Obama expressed irritation after he was twice interrupted by shouted questions from a reporter while making a statement about his administration’s change in policy on deportations.
Several minutes into Obama’s statement, a reporter who later identified himself as Neil Munro from The Daily Caller, a website, shouted, “Why do you favor foreigners over American workers?”
“Excuse me, sir,” Obama said. “It’s not time for questions, sir.”
The second time Munro began asking the question before Obama was finished, the president was visibly irritated.
“The next time I’d prefer you let me finish my statements before you ask that question,” Obama said. When Munro persisted, Obama said, “I didn’t ask for an argument. I’m answering your question.”
Daily Caller editor Tucker Carlson said in a statement posted on the website that Munro was doing the job he was assigned.
“A reporter’s job is to ask questions and get answers,” Carlson said. “Our job is to find out what the federal government is up to.”
“We’re proud of Neil Munro,” he said.
Munro, in the statement, said he didn’t intend to interrupt the president. “I timed the question believing the president was closing his remarks,” Munro said.
To contact the reporters on this story: Roger Runningen in Washington at rrunningen@bloomberg.net; Matt Bok in Washington at mbok3@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Steven Komarow at skomarow1@bloomberg.net
Neil Munro of The Daily Caller
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Neil Munro of the Daily Caller, center, interrupts President Barack Obama with questions as he delivered remarks about the Department of Homeland Security's recent announcement about deportation of illegal immigrants in the Rose Garden at the White House June 15, 2012 in Washington, D.C.
Neil Munro of the Daily Caller, center, interrupts President Barack Obama with questions as he delivered remarks about the Department of Homeland Security's recent announcement about deportation of illegal immigrants in the Rose Garden at the White House June 15, 2012 in Washington, D.C. Photographer: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
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