KJP goes on power trip, abruptly ends press briefing when African reporter calls her out for refusing to let him ask question

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre abruptly ended Thursday's press briefing when a reporter protested her refusal to call on him.

For the first part of the briefing, reporters peppered National Security Council spokesman John Kirby with questions about issues of national security. Toward the end of his Q&A period, a reporter asked him about Angola, a pertinent topic because President Joe Biden met with Angola President João Lourenço on Thursday.

After Kirby answered the questions, Today News Africa correspondent Simon Ateba, who is African, attempted to ask a follow-up question three separate times. But each time Jean-Pierre ignored Ateba and called on a different reporter.

Eventually, Ateba had enough of Jean-Pierre's disregard.

"It's so surprising that you don’t take a — you are receiving an African leader, and you can’t take a question from an African journalist," Ateba said.

"We can end this briefing right now if you’re not going to be respectful," Jean-Pierre fired back.

"It's not about ending the briefing. I want to ask an African question because you’re receiving an African leader," Ateba responded.

As other reporters in the roomed jeered at Ateba, he tried to respond to Jean-Pierre's threat. It was at that moment that Jean-Pierre urged Kirby to leave the briefing room. And when Ateba made his case for why he deserved the opportunity to ask a question, Jean-Pierre ended the briefing.

"We can end this briefing if it's not going to be respectful here," she said.

"You’re not doing the right thing. That’s what I’m saying. You are receiving an African leader, and you don’t take questions," Ateba protested.

"OK. Thanks, everybody. Thanks, everybody. All right. Thank you," Jean-Pierre said as she walked away from the lectern and left the briefing room.

BREAKING NEWS: KJP Bolts Press Briefing, Answers No Questions Due To Finding Reporter Disrespectfulwww.youtube.com

In a statement after the incident, Ateba accused the White House of discriminating against him.

"It's a shame that @WhiteHouse@PressSec Karine Jean-Pierre decided to abruptly end the press briefing rather than take a question from me after a year. Even when President Biden is hosting an African leader like the President of Angola today, the White House does not take a question from the African journalist in the room," he said.

"I am highly disappointed and even heartbroken that in the citadel of democracy, and in the most powerful house in the world, I'm being discriminated against for a year for trying to do my job while journalist colleagues remain silent," he added.

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