In a rare move, President Obama held an off-the-record with reporters on Monday.
Journalists from news outlets, including The Huffington Post, showed up expecting an off-the-record session with White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough, BuzzFeed reported. Obama's attendance at the meeting was unannounced.
The attendees and discussion were not reported, and BuzzFeed said reporters were "loathe to discuss" the meeting given its off-the-record nature.
Monday's meeting came as the Obama administration dealt with yet another controversy. The White House came under fire last week after the NSA's secret surveillance programs were leaked to the Guardian and the Washington Post. Those leaks came on the heels of revelations about the DOJ's secret investigations into the Associated Press and Fox News reporter James Rosen, as well as the IRS' targeting of conservative groups.
The session was Obama's latest attempt to "placate" reporters, BuzzFeed said. The White House press corps peppered press secretary Jay Carney with questions about Edward Snowden, who revealed himself as the NSA source, on Monday. Carney remained fairly tight-lipped, saying that he could not comment on an ongoing investigation.
Similarly, Obama met with White House reporters off-the-record in February, after they complained about lack of access to the president.
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