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'Didn't see it': WH says Biden has NO COMMENTS on Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at Oscars

Communications Director Kate Bedingfield said that Biden 'didn’t see' actor Will Smith slap comedian Chris Rock at the Oscars so the White House could not condemn it

President Joe Biden and the White House have no comments on the 'slapgate' between Will Smith and Chris Rock at the 94th Academy Awards. White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield on Tuesday, 29 March said that President Biden "didn’t see" actor Will Smith slap comedian Chris Rock at the Oscars and therefore, the White House could not condemn it.

During Hollywood's biggest night, actor Will Smith rushed to the stage and slapped Chris Rock for making a bald joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith, who suffers from alopecia. The actor then returned to his seat and twice shouted at the comedian. “Keep my wife’s name out of your f**king mouth.” This incident has stirred up quite a commotion, so Today News Africa's journalist Simon Ateba asked the communications director to address the Sunday night incident as she fielded questions at the White House briefing room as it was the biggest story around the globe.

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Journalist Ateba asked, “You saw the level of violence that was unleashed on Chris Rock. Is that something that the White House condones that type of violence? Do you condemn it? And do you do anything to support comedians who have been attacked and other artists?” To which, Bedingfield answered, “I don’t have any official comment from the White House on the altercation.”

Bedingfield further added, “I know the president was not able to watch the Oscars, didn’t see it,” she added. “So I don’t have anything. I don’t have any official comment from him or from the White House on this.”

Ateba further asked, “Do you condemn the violence at the Oscars? Is that something that you condemn?” For such a question, Bedingfield repeated her previous response saying, “I don’t have a White House comment on that.”

Usually, these kinds of press conferences are done by White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki but for this particular day, the communications director was filling in as the press secretary had tested positive for Covid last week, and her deputy Karine Jean-Pierre also tested positive on Sunday after returning from a trip to Europe with President Biden.

Nevertheless, this conversation between the journalist and Bedingfield has polarising opinions. Many people are saying that the President has more important stuff to worry about. A Twitter user tweeted, "How about for one, the President should have more important things to do. Or two, the President doesn’t know who Will Smith or Chris Rock are." "He also has other s**t to worry about besides narcissistic celebrity bulls**t", another added. 

But some are trolling the president, one user sarcastically said that Biden has no access to TV or the internet, "I guess there is no where to see in on TV or the internet anywhere in the world!" Another added, "It's past his bedtime he dvr it."