Robert Gibbs Fights With Indian Security Over White House Press Corps Restrictions

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs grew so angry with Indian security officials on Sunday that he got into a heated shouting match with them -- and even blocked a door they were trying to close with his foot.

The altercation came during the third day of President Obama's visit to the country. Indian officials, citing security, attempted to cut the number of White House reporters who would be allowed to cover a meeting between Obama and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

From the White House press pool report, written by Scott Wilson of the Washington Post:

More conflict between White House pool and Indian security, this time requiring intervention by Robert Gibbs.

Indian officials decided to cut agreed-upon number of WH pool allowed into spray of extended bilat [bilateral meeting] from eight to five. Katie Lillie and other U.S. officials lobbied hard for the eight, but no luck until Gibbbs announced loudly and persistently on steps of Hyderabad House that he would pull POTUS of bilat with PM Singh unless "the White House 8," as we've come to be known, were all allowed in. At one point, Gibbs literally had his foot lodged in the closing front door, asking if the Indian security officials pushing hard to shut it were going to break his foot.

More angry words ensued, and after Gibbs convinced them, through high volume and repetition, that he was serious about pulling POTUS, we all made it inside, to hold with larger Indian press contingent, for start of extended bilat. Finally escorted into spray at 11:55am. Delegations seated opposite each other along a long light-wood table, beneath a simple chandelier. POTUS and PM Singh sat across from each other at table's middle.

Politico reports that the confrontation comes on the heels of repeated clashes between American and Indian officials about where the White House Press Corps can go during Obama's tour:

White House reporters were held outside the entrance to Obama and Singh's joint press conference Monday for two hours because Indian officials refused to allow them in and repeatedly changed the rules for entry, such as whether or not laptops were allowed inside.

At the airport in New Delhi, Indian officials refused to allow members of the White House press pool that travels on Air Force One to stand under the wing of the plane to photograph Obama's exit and greeting of officials on the tarmac, including Singh. U.S. officials also had to overcome several obstacles put up by Indian officials to clear in members of the press corps to Obama's town hall with students in Mumbai on Sunday.

Gibbs emailed Mediaite on Monday to explain his behavior. "We had an agreement to get a certain number of people in to the meeting," he wrote. "We simply stood up for that which is our job. Thankfully they didn't take me up on closing the door and breaking my foot."

Comments

[jobscabin]

09:29 AM on 11/11/2010

I wish the administration were this forceful about standing up to the rethugs.

[Ro Sham Bo]

06:53 PM on 11/12/2010

They are! Don't you remember 0bama telling us that we had to "sit in the back"?

ink.ms/Lm26W

[jonthebru]

12:23 AM on 11/11/2010

Made some points with the press, who pretty much isn't impressed with him, I bet. The sore foot was probably worth it, I hope they bought him a couple of drinks for his trouble...

[tjinc]

11:14 PM on 11/10/2010

They were trying to close the door with his foot?

[lackofoversight]

10:29 AM on 11/10/2010

First, I'm shocked Gibbs has any emotions. Second, it sure would be nice to see him display some of that passion and intensity when he talks about the obstructionist Republicans.

[Julie02]

09:50 PM on 11/10/2010

co-sign

[jonthebru]

12:23 AM on 11/11/2010

Yup.

[Cthulhu On Call]

11:43 PM on 11/09/2010

I guess Freedom of the Press isn't a concept that's welcome everywhere. It's pretty silly that he literally had to stick his foot in the door. This is just weird. I like the part where he pretty much says to him, "you know, we can just all go home and take the President with us...."

[lonemoderate]

09:58 PM on 11/16/2010

You do of course realize that India has a free press right?

8 vs. 5 was a security decision. Not because the Indians were trying to shut out the press. Otherwise they might have been better served by allowing in 0.

[opprobrious]

05:20 PM on 11/09/2010

All this for a photo op? Why does the pool need to be 8 instead of 5? It's a picture and capture of an innocuous sound-bite. Was he really going to pull the president for that?

[Turukano]

08:10 AM on 11/10/2010

There comes a time with you have to stand up against the little insults. The POTUS and his representatives had an agreement and I am glad they stood up against one sided agreement breaking.

[Muttlib]

10:33 PM on 11/10/2010

Precisely. If he doesn't stand up for all of them, then he is spitting in the face of the press just as the Indian contingent was. I think it sends a message that it's all or nothing, and that is what America needs to be all about. He wasn't going to favor a specific person or let them get away with pushing people out. They are OUR reporters and he is OUR President and they can take all, or they can take none. But they can't continue to jerk him around and show their power and use these little plays to assert authority over the most powerful political leader in the world. Sorry. Not going to happen.

[MTinMO]

11:39 PM on 11/10/2010

These arrangements are all agreed upon well in advance. The 8 press members were traveling on Air Force One with the president to record all the official moments for prosperity. To allow a lower level official to try to change the agreed upon arrangements would be allowing them to disrespect the US and the president. It is Mr. Gibbs duty to make sure all things press go as they are supposed to. He was completely serious about pulling the president out of the meeting if they refused to live up to the agreement. He had to make sure they knew that. He was doing his job and doing it well. This type of thing has happened before in other places, requiring members of the party to take action. So much protocol is at stake with these foreign meetings, and the members of the presidents party are required to know the whats, whens and hows. I recall a similar incident at one foreign meeting meeting Bush was attending. I don't recall the particulars but I remember reading about it.

[NickTAZ]

02:48 PM on 11/09/2010

Good for him! Robert Gibbs has always struck me as a smart, aggressive man. If anyone wants a good laugh, look up Gibbs DECIMATING Sean Hannity in an interview during the last presidential cycle. When Hannity can't hang up on Gibbs or turn down his microphone (like he does when he's losing a fight on his radio show), he simply gets trounced. I wish he let Gibbs on his TV show.

[grovestand12]

02:43 PM on 11/09/2010

where was that "passion" during the healthcare debate over the public option? Where was that "passion" on any of the issues that were considered progressive and paramount to the base of the party? What a phony! I can't stand this guy...

[paulwl]

01:53 PM on 11/09/2010

Go Gibbs! You ain't seen nothing yet, wait until the 2012 POTUS race. The Obama team will be doing a 180 when it comes to being nice...never again. ReThugs, watch-out, they will pull no punches.

[Dr. Jonathan David Farley]

03:11 PM on 11/09/2010

in an alternate universe

[aonemandog]

04:29 PM on 11/09/2010

You are kidding, right? Our President and his team of wonder-women (including Gibbs) cower in the face of opposition or even the mention of it. The last two years are a long stream of issues that Obama and company have negotiated, washed their hands of or simpply let the Rethugs get the upper hand on; even with democratice majorities everywhere. "You ain't see nothing yet" hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

[Whinger]

01:11 PM on 11/09/2010

Robert, old saying, when in Rome do as the Romans do.......

Megaphone diplomacy is obviously his forte, what a great ambassador for America!

[Teagle03]

12:06 PM on 11/09/2010

Yankeebasterdman. Sit like a good dog

[ZubinTomato]

12:05 PM on 11/09/2010

Wow, I'm sure we haven't even begun to see all of the ramifications of TandooriGate.

[0334231]

11:48 AM on 11/09/2010

Now, if they can be just as agressive with the Republicans as they were with India Administrators, we probably would of kept the House in the midterm election....you see thay have the guts, they just need to use it on the Republicans....lol

[jniome]

11:31 AM on 11/09/2010

I don't understand why people think Gibbs did the wrong thing. We have a free press, and they are alloweed to follow the President. This doesn't just stop when the President leaves the US. If the Obama administration didn't fight for the press to cover the bilat meeting, the Right would have jumped all over it as a sign that Pres. Obama does not have an "open government" and wants to conduct secret meetings....

It really doesn't matter what the administration does, because either the right or the left is going to attack them for it.

[Dr. Jonathan David Farley]

03:13 PM on 11/09/2010

Of course, since Obama is not "in the middle" but a Democrat, it is unclear why he should be concerned if the Right attacks him. He should be concerned only if his own supporters criticize him.

[lonemoderate]

09:56 PM on 11/16/2010

Perhaps because he is the President of the United States, not President of the Democratic Party?

[okami]

09:10 AM on 11/09/2010

if Gibbs ain't careful, he could screw up the deal they're trying to work out.