Karine Jean-Pierre, President Biden’s press Secretary, proved once again that she was hired only to fill their diversity quota. She struggled through another painfully embarrassing press conference.
Jean-Pierre’s problems began when Jacqui Heinrich, Fox News White House correspondent, asked her about Biden’s desire to hide from the media and not hold a postmidterm news conference like every President for decades.
Heinrich addressed Biden’s refusal of to hold a post-election press conference and said, “An outside observer might conclude he doesn’t want to hold a press conference because it looks like he is poised to lose control over one or both chambers.”
She then asked, “Why the day before midterms won’t the White House commit that the traditional post-midterms media conference will be held the day after the election?”
Jean-Pierre nastily responded, “You’ve been covering the administration for the last 20 months right?” Then she made the absurd excuse that it takes time for any administration to lay out the schedule.
“I’ve been very clear. The President will be speaking to you. She said that he always enjoys answering your questions.”
Heinrich retorted that Jean-Pierre’s answer was not satisfactory. “Isn’t the President’s warning that democracy is on ballot plus the potential for unrest make a lot more sense that the President use the free and open media that he has praised as essential to the functioning democracy?”
Jean-Pierre replied that “the President has been very specific about where he stands regarding democracy.”
The next struggle session of the incoherent press secretary with the English language was during a question by Kathryn Watson, CBS News digital. Watson asked about Biden’s comments over the weekend in which he stated he wanted to close down the coal industry. Jean-Pierre also asked about Jean-Pierre’s insistence that the President’s words were “twisted” by Republicans or other hostile to Biden.
“You mentioned or repeated a few times today that these words were twisted. Who twisted them? Did Manchin twist them. Watson asked Watson: “Did someone else twist them?”
Jean-Pierre replied, “It’s the way it was reported out was being misinterpreted.” “If you read the entire transcript, the President was very transparent. She commented on a fact of technology and economics.”
Phillip Wegmann, Real Clear Politics White House reporter, sought clarifications on Biden’s intentions regarding the coal industry. Jean-Pierre was asked by Wegmann, “You said that the President is fighting to protect coal communities.” To clarify, this doesn’t necessarily mean that he is fighting to keep these coal mines open. Is it?
Jean-Pierre claimed that Biden had “proposed plans that are bringing energy and manufacturing jobs to States, like West Virginia to states like Pennsylvania” and that he “has secured critical investments through the Inflation Reduction Act, to support coal communities.”
Wegmann continued by saying that it “sounds as if you’re helping” them, especially since the market is going through economic transition away from coal.
Jean-Pierre was outwitted by Wegmann and murmured: “I’ve made it very clear, President has been very explicit on this,” and that she doesn’t “have any more to add.”
Wegmann also asked, in light Florida Senator Marco Rubio’s criticism of the Biden Administration’s use of the Beijing-beholden social networking app TikTok if “Biden” is signaling to the rest of the world that he believes it safe to use an app that is dependent on Beijing.
Jean-Pierre answered with a nonanswer, and then used the fact that the app was currently being reviewed by the Committee on Foreign Investment as a deflector.
Wegmann asked if there was a risk and that the review was ongoing, so why invite these people to the White House?
She replied that the President uses a variety of mediums to communicate directly and effectively with American citizens, including young people. We believe it’s important that they communicate directly with us.
Click “expand” to view the transcript of the November 7 briefing.
White House Press Briefing
11/7/2022
2:48:00 p.m. Eastern
JACQUI HEINRICH – I know that you stated from the podium a number times, including today, that the American people would hear the President speak the day after midterms. However, his remarks or statements are not only a departure from the White House traditions but also don’t allow for the kind of nuanced discussion about the signals voters are sending and how he intends to engage with the new Congress. A casual observer might conclude that he doesn’t want to hold a press conference as he is likely to lose control of either one or both chambers. Why then, the White House won’t commit to holding a traditional post-midterms press conferee the day after the elections?
KARINE JEANPIERRE: You have been covering this administration for the last 20 months, right? As you all know. It takes time for any Administration to establish the schedule. I have been very clear. The president will tell you that he enjoys answering your questions. You can be sure that he will also answer your questions. I won’t get ahead of myself. I won’t lay out his day on Wednesday. He is going to address the American people, and that’s important. He will be open about what he is thinking. And I won’t get ahead of it.
HEINRICH
JEAN-PIERRE : The President has been very clear in stating his position on democracy. He has spoken many times about democracy. He spoke about democracy last week, highlighting how important it is to the American people when they think about the choices before them. What’s at stake? He has been very clear. He has condemned political violence.
This is the President who was the reason he decided to run. It was because of what he saw. You also know what he said about the soul of a country. I don’t agree with your argument as if it doesn’t matter to him. This is an important issue. And I won’t get ahead of it. The American people will listen to you, and that is what matters. You will hear directly from the American people.
[…]
HEINRICH As the new Twitter CEO, is it an abuse to tell users to vote for Republicans during the midterms?
JEAN-PIERRE It was earlier today, correct? You see, I am limited in what I can speak about elections from the podium. However, I can generally say that. Every eligible American has the right, and it is their right, to speak out in this year’s elections. The president has spoken often about the importance and value of voting. I won’t get into any election conversation.
[…]
2:55:53 p.m. Eastern
KATHRYN WATSON : I’ll just briefly clarify what you said. Here at the podium. You spoke about the President’s statement on Saturday, or the President’s comments regarding coal. You mentioned or repeated a few times today that these words were twisted. Who twisted them? Manchin twisted them? Did someone else twist them
JEAN-PIERRE : It was being twisted. This is very important, so I need to be clear. The President was very clear if you read the entire transcript. Commenting on a fact about technology and economics. It has been since its early days as an energy superpower. America is currently in an energy transition and the President is determined that this transition will benefit all.
Americans, and he’s been very explicit about that. These were not some new comments. They were taken and twisted into what they were. The President has spoken for years about the energy transition and the need to support communities in this process. It was twisted by many others. We wanted to ensure that there was clarity.
[…]
Eastern, 3:05:05
PHILLIP WEGMANN – You stated that the President is fighting to protect coal communities. To follow up, this doesn’t necessarily mean that he is fighting to keep these coal mines open. Is it?
JEAN-PIERRE : Look at the President, I explained very clearly. How the President sees and sees his part in this. You know what he has done, and that is thanks to the work of the working group on coal- and power plant communities. Already, President Biden has contributed more than 23 billion dollars to energy communities across America. Biden has presented plans to bring new energy and manufacturing jobs from states like West Virginia to states such as Pennsylvania. He has also secured crucial investment through the Inflation Reduction Act, which will support coal communities. He believes this is crucial, and it is why it was included as part of the Inflation Reduction Act.
This includes funding for coal miners with respiratory challenges, as well as billions in loans to help them find new energy opportunities. This is why I mentioned it again. I just said this while we try to help coal communities. We do our best to help them get the funding they need. Republicans are the same. The same policy, the same monies as I just described. It’s the Inflation Reduction Act that is where it’s from. Republicans want to repeal it, taking away efforts to provide for coal communities.
WEGMANN: That sounds like you are helping them, as the market is moving away from coal. However, it doesn’t sound like that you’re making any deregulatory efforts or taking any steps to ensure that the mines remain open. Is that correct?
JEAN-PIERRE : I’ve been very clear with the President on this. I don’t have any more to add. We believe that what he was trying say was twisted. We’ve made that clear. You have heard my statement. You have heard what I just said today.
[…]
WEGMANN: Marco Rubio (ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee) criticized the administration, saying, quote, that TikTok Influencers was a platform for White House visits and creating content. Biden is indicating to the world that he believes it safe to use an app that is tied to Beijing. This is after TikTok revealed that some European data could have been accessed in China. Is the President signalling to the American public, that TikTok has been safe?
JEAN-PIERRE Because it was a lot.
WEGMANN: Sorry, that was a lot. The gist is that Rubio claims that by hosting some of the TikTok influencers here at the White House the President is essentially signaling to the rest of the world that he believes it safe to use an app that is dependent on Beijing. Is that what the President thinks? Is he indicating anything about this application
JEAN-PIERRE As you all know, the United States. To address concerns, ongoing review is underway. The app poses the question. The Biden administration is, in general, focused on the challenge of certain countries. This includes China, as you just mentioned. To leverage digital Technologies and Americans data in new ways. This is unacceptable at the moment and puts our national security at risk. We are taking the steps. We will do everything we can to solve this problem.
The President issued the first ever presidential directive defining additional National Security criteria for the committee. To be considered in line with the administration’s National Security Priorities like protecting Americans. America’s sensitive. Sensitive data. Last year, President Biden proposed an executive order to prevent Americans from collecting and using sensitive data. We will continue to investigate other options. I won’t go into too much detail, but I can give you an overview of what the president did.
WEGMANN: If there is a risk and the review continues, why invite these people to the White House? I thought that I would be asking a question on TikTok.
JEAN-PIERRE: I feel like you’ve asked me questions before about TikTok.
WEGMANN: Parents are seeing this app as benign, but then they start to see reports about the parent company by dance. This is Chinese-owned and poses a risk. Then they see that the President of the United States is on–
JEAN-PIERRE We believe it’s important that we communicate directly with them. But we understand, right? We are aware of the issues that TikTok faces and we use different media. I’ve just described what we are trying to accomplish in our efforts. To address the issue you just described. It’s before the committee so don’t get too involved. We take this very seriously. That’s why we issued the executive order by the President and will continue to do so.
