Joe Biden Called a Lid — What It Means for the White House and Media
President Joe Biden called a lid to address Hamas's invasion into Israel, leading many to wonder what that term actually means in this context.
- On Oct. 9, 2023, the White House called a lid over the crisis in Israel.
- The term refers to a notification to press that no further news will be coming out of the White House that day.
- Calling a lid is designed to allow the staff of the White House to focus on work without interference from the media.
A “lid” is what White House press secretaries use to indicate that there will be no news coming out of the White House that day.
A presidential campaign can also call a lid when their candidate does not plan any more public events or appearances for the rest of the day.
It can also be called a “full lid.”
A “lid” can be called at any time of the day and is an important signal for journalists, photographers, and other members of the press corps who need to know whether they will need to cover any more events that day.
Once a lid is called, reporters know that they will not miss any significant happenings by leaving the White House premises or turning their attention to other stories.