Tensions got as high as they’ve ever been in the White House Press Room after diversity-hire Karine Jean-Pierre lost her cool under routine questioning for reporters. Usually, she just flubs and gaslights her audience; this time, she allowed the room to “descend into chaos” before asking for a reset.
Conservative Brief sets up the exchange:
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre shouted down a reporter during a press briefing after the reporter was outraged for not being called on to ask a question. The incident occurred at the end of the briefing when Jean-Pierre was called on another reporter to ask a final question.
The frustrated reporter erupted, shouting her own questions over Jean-Pierre’s protests to “respect your colleagues.”
A transcript of the heated back and forth can be read below.
Jean-Pierre: “I’m going to go around, I — we can go — we can — we can go back and forth on it. We can go back and forth on it. I was supposed to go to Chris in the back and I skipped him so I’m going to go back to Chris.”
Reporter 1: “Karine, my question is about the marriage bill that is in the Senate.”
Jean-Pierre: “You’re not being respectful. Go ahead. To your colleagues, to your own colleagues.”
Reporter 1: “[inaudible] that’s in the Senate. I’m going to ask about that.”
Jean-Pierre: “As you see, I jump (crosstalk) — okay, go ahead.”
VERAS: “We have been here asking for a question for more than a week.”
Jean-Pierre: “Respect your colleagues. Respect your colleagues. Go ahead, Chris.”
Reporter 2: “My question is, will the President reach out to Senator Schumer about scheduling a vote on that marriage bill when the lawmakers return —“
Jean-Pierre: “I’m sorry, Chris, you’re going to have to start from the beginning, because there was some disrespect happening. (crosstalk) You’re being disrespectful. Go ahead.”
Conservative Brief goes onto note that, despite tensions not boiling over as they did in this exchange, it isn’t as if everything is going great for Jen Psaki’s replacement.
“She is poorly received as she isn’t taking time to answer questions or banter with reporters on the issues of the day,” one White House reporter said at the time. “A press secretary has to share some information, kind of a give and take, but she just doesn’t appear willing to do that yet. … Too often, she is telling reporters that she ‘has nothing from the podium’ to say, which is a waste of everyone’s time.”
“If your M.O. is going to be reading prepared answers, you should have a lot of prepared answers so that you’re not just deferring to reporters constantly,” a current White House reporter told Fox News Digital.
One example of KJP’s extreme unpreparedness and unsuitabity for her job was put on full display during an appearance with CNN’s Don Lemon. During a softball interview, Lemon brought up the issue of Joe Biden’s mental and physical fitness.
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“Don! You’re asking me this question! Oh my gosh, he’s the president of the United States! You know, he — I can’t even keep up with him,” Jean-Pierre declared. “We just got back from New Mexico. We just got back from California. Uh, that is — I, I, that is — that is not a question that we should be even asking. Just look at the work that he does. Just look at how he’s delivering for the American public.”
Hailey Sanibel covers culture and politics for The American Tribune. She is a regular contributor.
Featured image: The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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