A freelance journalist said Wednesday he and several reporters have had negative interactions with Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign staff in recent days.
Marcus DiPaola described via Twitter several instances in which he said reporters had been physically blocked from covering the former vice president while the 2020 presidential hopeful is in Iowa this week.
When a reporter approached Biden to ask a question, a member of Biden’s staff told the reporter to leave, DiPaola wrote.
“When the reporter explained that they were just doing their job, the staffer said she was too. The staffer then took a photo of the reporter,” he said.
DiPaola said another reporter had “a staff member physically put their body between the reporter” and Biden.
“This second reporter tells me the staffer physically invaded their space to the point that the reporter could smell the staffer’s ponytail,” he said.
A third reporter told DiPaola a campaign staffer blocked him from taking photos with his camera. DiPaola did not name the reporters or their employers.
The freelance journalist also said a staffer “physically placed her body between me and the candidate, causing me to bump into her” while he was shooting video of Biden calling for Attorney General William Barr to resign.
Biden’s campaign did not immediately return a request for comment from the Washington Examiner.
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A reporter approached @JoeBiden to ask a question and a member of his staff told the reporter to leave, and when the reporter explained that they were just doing their job, the staffer said she was too. The staffer then took a photo of the reporter.
— Marcus DiPaola (@marcusdipaola) May 2, 2019
A different reporter just told me that yesterday a staff member physically put their body between the reporter and @JoeBiden. The reporter said they weren’t even that close and that there were several supporters between the reporter and Biden.
— Marcus DiPaola (@marcusdipaola) May 2, 2019
This second reporter tells me the staffer physically invaded their space to the point that the reporter could smell the staffer’s ponytail.
— Marcus DiPaola (@marcusdipaola) May 2, 2019
A THIRD reporter just told me that a staff member physically put their body between @JoeBiden and the reporter, moments ago at this rally in Des Moines.
— Marcus DiPaola (@marcusdipaola) May 2, 2019
This third reporter just told me that the @JoeBiden staffer blocked his camera shot by putting up her hands.
— Marcus DiPaola (@marcusdipaola) May 2, 2019
@JoeBiden staffers just tried to remove us from what appears to be a public lot, said we could not ask questions. pic.twitter.com/NsaEyBmICw
— Marcus DiPaola (@marcusdipaola) May 2, 2019
While getting the video I just shot of Biden calling for Barr to resign, a @JoeBiden staffer physically placed her body between me and the candidate, causing me to bump into her.
— Marcus DiPaola (@marcusdipaola) May 2, 2019
