Michael LaRosa, who previously served as press secretary for Jill Biden, expressed criticism towards Andrew Bates, the senior deputy press secretary for former President Biden, in a tweet over the weekend. LaRosa stated that Bates has “lost all trust.”
In his tweet, LaRosa reacted to Bates’ comments comparing New York Attorney General Letitia James with Bill Pelt, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. He highlighted past press treatment during Biden’s administration and pointed out Bates’ earlier criticism of the media. A report from the New York Times mentioned LaRosa’s take.
“Don’t forget how this guy treated journalists, editors, and the press from the NYT, Associated Press, and WSJ for four years, or maybe just a little over a year ago?!” LaRosa added.
He claimed that Bates and others from the Democratic side “lied, bullied, gassed, and defamed” him during Biden’s time in office.
LaRosa emphasized that Democrats considering working with Bates again should remember the harm he has caused to their party and to others during those years. “It’s important to recognize that these robotic wordsmiths and keyboard warriors have misled and attacked us for four years in the Biden White House,” he remarked. “We shouldn’t endorse journalism and media freedom only when it targets opponents— that’s simply not the right approach.”
Bates has been significant in defending Biden, especially toward the end of his term. Just days before Biden withdrew from the presidential race, Bates reportedly dismissed concerns regarding discussions within the Biden family regarding the political landscape.
He also took issue with an NYT article released a few weeks prior, which claimed Biden had informed “allies” of his uncertainties about running again. Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal had engaged in a series of interviews regarding Biden’s competency, reporting that over 45 discussions with lawmakers had taken place regarding the president’s mental and physical condition. This raised concerns within the administration.
The Journal reported that the White House was closely watching their reporting, and certain Democrats had shared insights about their interactions with the paper.
Bates argued that the critique from Politico focused on a singular viewpoint and emphasized that only Kevin McCarthy had been the sole source for that criticism. He stated this contradicts previous assertions by McCarthy himself in private discussions.
Addressing the importance of balanced representation in the media, Bates remarked that it was vital to correct any “false and politically motivated claims.” He later refuted the journalistic claims with a statement to another outlet.
