He criticized the president for not speaking more off the cuff to the media.
“The president is not doing cable news interviews. Tweets from his account are limited and, when they come, unimaginably conventional. The public comments are largely scripted. Biden has opted for fewer sit down interviews with mainstream outlets and reporters. Invites the question: is he really in charge?” Cornyn tweeted.
The Biden White House media doctrine: Less can be more https://t.co/Gc6W1gubqB via @politico
— Senator John Cornyn (@JohnCornyn) April 12, 2021
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki responded to Cornyn’s attacks Monday afternoon by taking an apparent swipe at Trump: “I can confirm the president of the United States does not spend his time tweeting conspiracy theories,” she said, adding Biden “spends his time working for the American people.”
Cornyn’s tweet prompted broader blowback from Democrats and political commentators who hit Cornyn for promoting conspiracy theories.
“Senator Cornyn appears to be under the impression that presidents are only ‘in charge’ if they spend their time erratically tweeting about what they see on cable news and calling into TV shows,” journalist Andrew Feinberg wrote.
Writer and political observer Molly Jong-Fast asked directly, “Senator Cornyn wonders, can a president really president if they’re not tweeting unhinged conspiracy theories?”
Sarah Longwell mused, “Making meandering calls into Fox and Friends and rage tweeting at all hours is how you demonstrate you’re truly running the country, per John Cornyn.”