Senate Republican grills Antony Blinken as to who can 'press the button' and stop Biden from speaking

When given the opportunity, Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho) — ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee — only asks the hard-hitting questions.
As a perfect example, Risch began Tuesday proceedings for a hearing on Afghanistan by fervently asking who has the power to cut off President Biden's mic and therefore censor him while he's speaking. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who was fielding Risch's questions, denied the accusation multiple times (with a somewhat-amused expression on his face).
"We've all seen this," Risch said. "We saw it as recently as yesterday. Somebody in the White House has the authority to press the button and ... cut off the president's speaking ability and sound. Who is that person?"
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Risch seems to have latched on to a moment during an Idaho wildfires briefing on Monday, in which a White House live feed cut out just as Biden asks an official a question. A clip of the moment was later shared by the Republican National Committee, and reported on by the New York Post as well as Fox News.
However, as journalists have been quick to point out, the feed's abrupt conclusion was simply a part of a normal, planned "pool spray," in which press and cameras are allowed in for a meeting's start, but must be ushered out once Biden begins interviewing officials.
When questioned by Risch, Blinken repeatedly insisted that "there is no such person" monitoring Biden's microphone and that the president speaks "very clearly and very deliberately for himself."
"Senator, I really don't know what you're referring to," Blinken added. "All I can tell you is having worked for the president for now 20 years ... the president very much speaks for himself."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
DOGE put Social Security data at risk, official says
Speed Read DOGE workers made the personal information of hundreds of millions of Americans vulnerable to identity theft
-
Court rejects Trump suit against Maryland US judges
Speed Read Judge Thomas Cullen, a Trump appointee, said the executive branch had no authority to sue the judges
-
Trump expands National Guard role in policing
Speed Read The president wants the Guard to take on a larger role in domestic law enforcement
-
Trump says he's firing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Speed Read The move is likely part of Trump's push to get the central bank to cut interest rates
-
Abrego released from jail, faces Uganda deportation
Speed Read The wrongly deported Kilmar Abrego García is expected to be detained at an ICE check-in and deported to Uganda
-
Trump arms National Guard in DC, threatens other cities
speed read His next targets are Chicago, New York and Baltimore
-
Judge: Trump's US attorney in NJ serving unlawfully
Speed Read The appointment of Trump's former personal defense lawyer, Alina Habba, as acting US attorney in New Jersey was ruled 'unlawful'
-
Third judge rejects DOJ's Epstein records request
Speed Read Judge Richard Berman was the third and final federal judge to reject DOJ petitions to unseal Epstein-related grand jury material