ABC News reporter and producer John Parkinson is the target of social media criticism after he shouted a question at President Joe Biden while he was reportedly visiting the grave site of his late son, Beau.
“As President Biden left church, I shouted quite loudly across the cemetery, ‘Mr. President, will you pardon your son?!’ But Biden did not visibly react or acknowledge the question,” he wrote on X.
Shortly thereafter, the post was deleted. However, it wasn’t removed before other X users could react, including Rep. Eric Swalwell. The Democratic congressman succinctly responded with a post that reads, “Grow up.”
“What kind of unprofessional jerk shouts a question like that while the president is visiting the graves of his family members? Our politics and our media [need] to relearn respect and courtesy. No one should be cruel or callous just for attention,” actor George Takei commented.
“He seems to think he [is] a functioning human and a journalist. At [a] minimum, you can relieve him of the second delusion. Fire this scumbag,” commentator Keith Olbermann added.
President Joe Biden did not respond to the question asked by Parkinson while visiting the church and cemetery where his son, first wife and daughter are buried. However, White House Press officials have repeatedly said that he will not do so.
“No,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said when asked about the President pardoning his son.
