WaPo journalist torched online for asking Jean-Pierre if Biden admin has looked into stopping Elon Musk interview with Trump

A Washington Post journalist faced the wrath of online critics after he asked whether the Biden administration was considering taking action against an interview of former President Donald Trump hosted on the X social media platform.

Cleve Wootson asked the bizarre question during Monday's media briefing at the White House just ahead of the interview by X owner and billionaire Elon Musk.

'It is incredibly important to call that out as you are doing.'

"I think that misinformation on Twitter is not just a campaign issue; it's an America issue," said Wootson.

"What role does the White House or the president have in sort of stopping that, or stopping the spread of that or intervening? Some of that was about campaign misinformation, but you know, it's a wider thing, right?" he added.

"Don't have anything to read out from here about specific ways that we're working on it, but we believe that they have the responsibility, these are private companies, so we're also mindful of that too," responded press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

"But, look, it is incredibly important to call that out as you are doing. I just don't have any specifics on what we've been doing internally as it relates to the interviews, and that's something that I'm tracking," she added.

Video of the interaction was posted to social media, where it was widely circulated with millions of views. Many users lambasted the reporter for demanding government censorship.

"Democracy Dies in Darkness," responded writer Charles C.W. Cooke of National Review, referring ironically to the Post's motto.

"This is what 'what in the actual F' was created for," replied commentator Mary Katharine Ham.

"That time when a Washington Post reporter revealed he did not understand the part of the Constitution that literally enables his job," responded history podcaster Jack Henneman.

"Why would any news organization employ someone like @CleveWootson, who wastes their opportunity to ask the White House a question to advocate for censorship? @JeffBezos, you're paying for this to the tune of $77 million per year. You down with this? Do you have zero f's to give?" replied Derek Hunter.

"The White House literally peddled the misinformation/disinformation that Joe Biden was alright for years. They should sit this one out," read another response.

The X interview of the ex-president began late but continued as planned without government intervention.

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