President Joe Biden shushed reporters at an event Wednesday for social media influencers at the White House.
The president joined 100 TikTokkers for the White House's first-ever 'Creator Economy Conference' in the Indian Treaty Room.
He started off the event by asking, 'Now, is that the real press or the fake press back there?' a phrase commonly used by his ex-rival, former President Donald Trump.
Biden continued by telling the White House reporters stationed in the back of the room that they should cover the economy more positively.
'We're going to have a soft landing,' he answered when asked if the U.S. had beaten inflation. 'My policies are working. Start writing that way, OK?'
President Joe Biden hosted around 100 social media influencers to the White House Wednesday. During his appearance, he encouraged reporters in the room to cover inflation more positively
Later, at the White House press briefing, Jared Bernstein, chair of the United States Council of Economic Advisers, was asked what the president meant by that jab.
'Well, what do you think he meant by "start writing that way?"' Bernstein said. 'That's the first that I've heard that he said that, I can only interpret it to mean that he think that's not being done.'
Also at the influencers event, Biden talked about how his grandchildren were getting their news through social media instead of through traditional sources.
'With all due respect, they don't read the same newspapers or watch the same television I do,' the president said. 'They listen to all of you. They listen to all of you,' he told the social media stars.
'That fact is that you are the future. You are the future,' he continued.
'And there are more people who want to go into your business than any other these days,' Biden added. 'You think - when I retire, where do you think I'm going? I got contacts, man. I - you all think I'm kidding.'
He commended the social media influencers for breaking through 'in ways that I think are going to change the entire dynamic of the way in which we communicate.'
President Joe Biden takes a selfie of the 100 or so TikTokkers invited to the White House for the first-ever 'Creator Economy Conference'
'And that's why I invited you to the White House, because I'm looking for a job,' the president said to laughs.
Biden, who dropped out of the presidential race last month, made a number of retirement and old-age jokes throughout his appearance.
'Now, I know I only look like I’m 40,' he said at one point, adding, 'You can smile.'
He noted that he'd been in politics for '800 years.'
'I wanted to say something else to you and I can't remember what it was now,' the 81-year-old also said.
The president bopped between being critical and then more friendly to the press.
'The national press. They're good people. They don't - they're not that crazy about me, but I like them,' he said at one point.
But then when he got to the Q&A section of the even, he told the 'non-press' - the influencers in the room - that he would only take questions from them.
That didn't stop White House reporters from trying.
A reporter shouted a question toward Biden about the Venezuelan election.
'I'm not talking to you guys,' Biden responded.
When she tried again, Biden let out a 'shush.'
'Yes. I'm not going to answer your question. I'm talking to them first - OK? The audience first. OK?' the president said, before telling reporters they should writing more positive stories on inflation.
