During a recent White House press briefing, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was corrected by several fed-up reporters. KJP suggested that the press is permitted to ask questions “every time a head of state visits.” However, multiple reporters shot back at her, correcting her statement.
The situation unfolded when a White House reporter questioned the press secretary on Joe Biden’s meeting with Ireland’s Prime Minister Leo Varadkar. Reporters then confronted Jean-Pierre regarding the lack of access to the president when he meets with other world leaders.
KJP stated, “Here at the White House, you’re going to have an opportunity or your colleagues will have an opportunity to ask questions during the, the pool spray of The Oval…at The Oval, that happened every time a head of state visits. So that is an opportunity to be able to pose a question to the President or, or the head of state that is visiting the White House that on that day but again, this is coordinated.”
Before Jean-Pierre could conclude her remark, she was cut off by the disgruntled reaction from the numerous members of the press that could audibly be heard. One reporter suggested that Biden “never answers questions.” Another stated that “we get yelled at” by the president’s staff when they attempt to do their job and ask questions. “They always shout at us to get out,” another individual said, highlighting instances in which the press is often forced to leave press conferences.
KJP responded by nervously laughing as the reporters laid into her, voicing their frustration when attempting to ask the president questions. “I hear you guys, I hear you guys,” the press secretary said uncomfortably, trying to quell the palpable irritation from the press.
“Look, the two plus two is something that is done in coordination with the country that is visiting that is not something that is unilaterally decided. That is something that is in discussion with the other country I was asked about the two plus two. I was also I also was adding that there is an opportunity where we’ll be in the room with the two leaders. I cannot speak to if who’s going to take questions or who’s not going to take questions,” she said.
“As you know, this is a president that takes shot at questions often but the two plus two is not a unilateral decision. It is a decision that happens with the visiting country in coordination with them,” KJP added. Watch a clip of the chaotic press conference below:
The American Tribune also reported on another recent controversy involving a statement from Karine Jean-Pierre. The White House spokeswoman received substantial backlash from conservatives after she criticized Texas law SB4, claiming that it would “sow chaos and confusion.”
“We fundamentally disagree with the Supreme Court’s order allowing Texas’ harmful and unconstitutional law to go into effect. S.B. 4 will not only make communities in Texas less safe, it will also burden law enforcement, and sow chaos and confusion at our southern border. S.B. 4 is just another example of Republican officials politicizing the border while blocking real solutions. We remained focused on delivering the significant policy changes and resources we need to secure the border – that is why we continue to call on Congressional Republicans to pass the bipartisan border security agreement, the toughest and fairest set of border reforms in decades,” an official statement from KJP read.
