State Department spokesman Ned Price clashed with a reporter throughout a press briefing on the White House on Monday.
The tense trade erupted as Price was boasting in regards to the administration’s efforts to cut back the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline from Russia to Germany.
Price stated 18 principally Western firms have made “good-faith efforts to wind down” their involvement with Nord Stream 2.
“This demonstrates that the legislative targets and our actions are having a great impact,” Price stated of bipartisan US opposition to the undertaking relationship again to former president Donald Trump’s time.
Associated Press reporter Matt Lee then chimed in.
“You guys have solely been in workplace for a month, proper? Are you telling me that within the final 4 weeks these 18 firms the entire sudden determined to say, ‘Oh my God! We higher not be doing something with Nord Stream 2,” Lee stated.
“You guys are taking credit score for stuff the earlier administration did. Yes or no?”
Price and Lee spoke over one another for a number of seconds, earlier than the State Department spokesman was in a position to say he was merely talking on behalf of those that work on the division he represents.
“The individuals who have been working this, the people who find themselves working this now, had been the identical individuals a month in the past, had been the identical individuals three months in the past,” Price stated.
With Post wires