(Photo : Photo by NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images)
US President Joe Biden (R) holds a bilateral meeting with Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson at the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on September 21, 2021.
Joe Biden recently met up with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson for a 90-minuute discussion at the White House.
Prior to the meeting, there were expectations that the two leaders would discuss a post-Brexit free trade deal between the United States and the United Kingdom.
However, Biden said that he and Johnson need to talk about the matter a little bit more.
"We're going to have to work that through," he said (via the BBC).
United Kingdom believes a deal with the United States is necessary
Despite a lack of decision, Downing Street stressed that a direct deal with the United States is their top priority.
The United Kingdom is also determined to strike free trade deals with other countries after leaving the European Union's single market recent. Having a deal would encourage businesses in the U.K. and the U.S. to sell products at a much lower price and reduce or remove taxes.
Johnson acknowledged that Americans negotiate very hard that's why there's a need for further discussion between him and Biden.
While speaking with Sky News, environment secretary George Eustice that he's still hoping for an agreement between the two nations.
"We still very much hope to be able to put together an agreement with the United States. We are not putting timescales on it. It's just not a priority for the US administration," he told Sky News.
Other than the post-Brexit free trade, Biden and Johnson also discussed the climate change, the recent events in Afghanistan, and Northern Ireland.
Joe Biden slammed for refusing to answer reporters' questions
Meanwhile, Biden also made headlines following his meeting with Johnson amid reports that he ignored US reporters that wanted to ask him question.
While Johnson was responding to questions from two British reporters about the accords with Northern Ireland, US reporters were shepherded out of the room before they could even ask Biden questions.
Several reporters took their thoughts to Twitter to criticize Biden.
IN THE PRESIDENT'S OVAL OFFICE:
Boris Johnson recognized two British reporters for questions.
Joe Biden then signaled it was time for the press to leave, without taking any questions from his own press corps.
- Steven Portnoy (@stevenportnoy) September 21, 2021
Steven Portnoy said that Biden signaled that it was time for the press to leave that's why they were escorted out of the room.
Not good, folks https://t.co/9mN15mZL9y - Seung Min Kim (@seungminkim) September 21, 2021
Washington Post reporter Seung-Min Kim also slammed Biden's bold move.
A chaotic scene in the Oval Office today as Boris Johnson unexpectedly took questions from British reporters, and White House aides shouted over American reporters as we tried to ask Biden questions https://t.co/2wus2ilX0F
- Andrew Restuccia (@AndrewRestuccia) September 21, 2021
Andrew Restuccia also called the incident at the Oval Office chaotic.
As of late, it is unclear why Biden refused to take questions from US reporters, but this isn't the first time that this happened.
Last month, the POTUS addressed the response to Hurricane Ida while at the Federal Emergency Management Agency headquarters in Washington D.C.
Following his speech, reporters tried asking Biden questions and he told them that he's not supposed to take any.
"I'm not supposed to take any questions, but go ahead," @POTUS told me at FEMA HQ. I asked if there's still an acute risk at the Kabul airport. "I'm not going to answer on Afghanistan," he said. pic.twitter.com/fZ8WL9gfWI
- Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) August 29, 2021
But when Bloomberg News reporter Jennifer Jacobs asked Biden about Afghanistan, he immediately said that he won't answer anything related to the matter.
According to Fox News, the POTUS has faced criticisms over his refusal to respond to important matters affecting the country.
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