Fox News reporter John Roberts took a shot at the White House's policy of holding off-camera press briefings, quipping that's why he was leaving Tuesday's briefing early.
White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders noted Roberts was heading out early as she was about to take another question.
"John Roberts is bored today. He's headed out," Sanders said.
The audio was hard to make out clearly, but New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman wrote Roberts said, "If it was on camera, I might not be."
The reporters "ooohed" at the remark.
.@johnrobertsFox leaves briefing early. Sanders notes it from podium. He calls back, "If it was on camera, I might not be." Ooohs.
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) July 18, 2017
The White House's employment of off-camera briefings have rankled reporters who complain it shows a lack of transparency.
In reality, Roberts headed out to do a live hit with host Shepard Smith about the failure of the Senate Republican health care bill. He tweeted afterward that he would have normally waited until was over to do his live hit.
To all who are musing over me leaving the @SHSanders45 Briefing...I have a live shot. Had the brief been on camera, it would 1/2
— John Roberts (@johnrobertsFox) July 18, 2017
Would have been on TV, not me. I would have waited until it was over.
— John Roberts (@johnrobertsFox) July 18, 2017
UPDATE: 4:47 P.M.: This article was updated with tweets from Roberts explaining why he left the briefing, and the headlined was changed to show he was not joking.