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President Obama interrupted during immigration speech by 'Daily Caller' reporter
President Barack Obama responds to a question from Neil Munro of the Daily Caller after he interruped the president while Obama delivered remarks about the Department of Homeland Security's recent announcement about deportation of illegal immigrants in the Rose Garden at the White House June 15, 2012 in Washington, DC. With the DREAM Act unable to gain traction in Congress, Obama announced that his administration would stop deporting some young people who came to U.S. as children of illegal immigrants.
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President Obama interrupted during immigration speech by 'Daily Caller' reporter
A reporter interrupted President Barack Obama Friday as he outlined the administration’s new policy allowing undocumented young people to stay in this country for two years and apply for work visas.
In a highly unusual break with decorum, reporter Neil Munro from the conservative “Daily Caller” interrupted and asked whether the policy change was good for American workers.
The president tried to cut him off, saying, "Excuse me, sir. It’s not time for questions, sir. Not while I’m speaking."
Democratic Congressman Xavier Becerra says the heated exchange mirrors the broader immigration debate. "This is a perfect example of what the president and those who wish to reform our immigration laws have faced for the last four years and that's this dogged resistance and in some cases irrational resistance, trying to fix the broken immigration system. I guess maybe the reporter doesn’t get it." Becerra expects the rhetoric to continue.
The “Daily Caller” reporter was not part of the regular White House press corps.
Munro, "Daily Caller" editor-in-chief Tucker Carlson and the publication's publisher issued official responses to what happened, defending their actions. Munro said he didn't intend to interrupt the president but was trying to ask a question at a point where he felt Obama was wrapping up his speech, as the president regularly leaves the podium without taking questions.
Correction: An earlier version of this story dropped a couple of words from Becerra's quote.
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