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‘Is your breakup affecting your job?’ Simon Ateba gets personal with KJP question

September 16, 2023 | | Print Article

Soft-spoken African White House correspondent Simon Ateba took a snarky jab at press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Friday, asking if her recent romantic troubles had anything to do with her questionable job performance.

Ateba’s ongoing feud with Jean-Pierre has captured a slew of national headlines since she took control of the press room podium. Ateba has repeatedly accused President Joe Biden’s spokesperson of discriminating against him and refusing to take any of his questions.

In August, the Cameroon native filed a First Amendment lawsuit against Jean-Pierre and the Secret Service, claiming they wrongfully revoked his press badge.


“The White House Press Office recently revised its credentialing criteria for a media ‘hard pass’ this past May in a brazen attempt to exclude Mr. Ateba from the White House briefing room,” the lawsuit alleges. “As of August 1, 2023, over 440 previously credentialed White House reporters no longer have ‘hard pass’ access to the White House media facilities under the new requirements.”

“While other reporters were affected by the revisions,” the complaint continues, “excluding Mr. Ateba was the primary objective because the White House no longer wanted to deal with him or his questions.”

Just a few weeks later, as BizPac Review reported, Jean-Pierre announced that she ended her longtime relationship with CNN anchor Suzanne Malveaux.


Despite the lawsuit, Ateba offered Jean-Pierre his prayers.

“May God bring her another loving relationship,” he wrote following her announcement in Vogue magazine. “That she has been unkind towards me doesn’t mean I should wish her harm.”


But on Friday, the journalist took a decidedly different tone.

As Jean-Pierre was concluding the press briefing, Ateba asked, “Is your breakup affecting your job?”

The press sec did what she does best and ignored him.

On X, the “savage” jab sparked a storm of support and laughing emojis for Ateba.

“Good on Simon!” exclaimed one user.

“Reasonable question,” stated another. “Most people have issues after a long-term breakup. The fact that she is a liar and abuses Simon is on her.”

Melissa Fine
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