At Tuesday’s White House press briefing, the inept Biden White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre (KJP) was grilled by NewsMax’s James Rosen on Biden’s frequent falls. What started as a simple question turned into a full blown argument over whether Biden frequently stumbling is an issue to Americans.
The briefing started off on a humorous note with Fox News White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich asking KJP if humans are alone on planet Earth:
On UFOs, real quick though. This whistleblower report, alleging that the US military has been retrieving craft of non-human origin for at least several decades. Are we alone? And if we were not, would you even tell us?
There were chuckles in the room from the other reporters. As per her usual arrangement, KJP dodged the question. “I would refer that question to Department of Defense and let them answer that question for you,” she replied.
Later on in the briefing, Rosen got his question in. Spoiler alert: he wasn’t playing around.
“I want to ask about the President’s tumble that he took on the stage in Colorado the other day. It’s absolutely true that any one of us could trip over an object that just happens to be in our path. Nonetheless. We’ve all observed the difficulty this President has in certain settings,” Rosen prefaced.
Rosen noted that “steps are one of them and of course there was no sand bag in his path on the steps up Air Force One on any of those occasions. And I was struck particularly by the incident on May 19, in Hiroshima where the President descended down a set of stone steps toward a shrine.”
“At the bottom of which steps he was greeted by the Japanese Prime Minister. And if you look at that footage, the President slipped and caught himself on those steps. And as he greeted the Prime Minister, you could even see on the president’s face, pursed lips as if to say this was a close one,” Rosen continued.
Getting to his question, Rosen wondered “whether this whole series of incidents has led the White House Chief of Staff to direct some kind of review of the advance procedures that are employed on behalf of this, the nation’s oldest President?”
KJP once again played dumb: “you’ve paid a lot of attention to that particular situation. I Actually, did not see that. I was with him in Hiroshima so this is something that I was not aware of, so I can’t speak to that particular moment.”
She then listed off a number of Biden’s accomplishments in an attempt to deflect from Rosen’s actual question.
When Rosen tried following up to get an answer to his question, things got heated:
JEAN-PIERRE: Isn’t that what is important as a reporter? Don’t you think it’s important what Americans care about?
[crosstalk]
ROSEN: My question was—
JEAN-PIERRE: I’m just saying that is something that Americans want, isn’t that not true? That they have a leader that’s going to deliver for them.
ROSEN: Your proposition may or may not be true, but it’s not responsive to my question.
KJP then got nasty and sneered: “You’re asking me if we’re going to change anything from here, the Chief of Staff has asked for it to change anything from here. And here’s the thing, here’s the thing. We are not. Things happen. Other Presidents have had similar situations.”
She then walked off and ended the press conference like a petulant child.
The transcript of the June 6, White House press briefing is below:
White House press briefing
6/6/2023
2:00:45 p.m. EasternJACQUI HEINRICH: Thanks Karine, I want to ask about UFOs but I have to ask about the border first. On the 11th Circuit ruling yesterday, blocking quick releases of migrants, does the administration plan to appeal to the Supreme Court?
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: It’s ongoing litigation so certainly I’m not gonna comment on that at this time.
HEINRICH: The New York City mayor floated plans to have migrants be housed with residents. Is that something the administration would support? And if that ends up becoming necessary, would that be a poor reflection on the administration’s ability to manage—
JEAN-PIERRE: So, I haven’t seen those reports. I mean I kinda saw some chyrons on the cable news networks, I think yours coming out to the podium. What I can say is that we have been in touch with the interior cities right? The cities like New York City, like Chicago and others who are dealing with this issue. issue. And we’ve had a conversations with them, we are in touch with them. As you know, there is more than 200 million dollars. In funding that has gone to these interior—interior cities. Majority of that has gone to New York City but just not going to speak to the mayor’s policies. I just don’t know much enough about it to speak to it at this time.
HEINRICH: And the retirements upcoming the border chief in the ICE. The ICE chief, is that going to impact the administration’s ability to manage the border in the near term?
JEAN-PIERRE: So look I from what I understand, their retirements was—-has been planned for some time now. And so just gonna leave that piece to them and certainly they can speak to their retirement. What I can speak to is what we have seen. These past couple weeks since Title 42 has been lifted, we have seen, we’ve seen legal migration go down. Go down significantly. And that’s because of the plan that this President has put forward. You think about diplomacy. You think about deterrence. You think about making sure that we’re expanding legal pathways that’s what the President has—administration has been able to do and that’s why we have seen such a decline at the border and I think that speaks to the president’s leadership and what he’s been able to do with his team and I think that’s incredibly important—
HEINRICH: On UFOs, real quick though. This whistleblower report, alleging that the US military has been retrieving craft of non-human origin for at least several decades. Are we alone? And if we were not, would you even tell us?
JEAN-PIERRE: I would refer that question to Department of Defense and let them answer that question for you.
[…]
2:09:07 p.m. Eastern
JAMES ROSEN: Thank you Karine. I want to ask about the President’s tumble that he took on the stage in Colorado the other day. It’s absolutely true that any one of us could trip over an object just happens to be in our path. Nonetheless. We’ve all observed the difficulty this President has in certain settings. Steps are one of them and of course there was no sand bag in his path on the steps up Air Force One on any of those occasions. And I was struck particularly by the incident on May 19, in Hiroshima where the President descended down a set of stone steps toward a shrine. At the bottom of which steps he was greeted by the Japanese Prime Minister. And if you look at that footage, the President slipped and caught himself on those steps. And as he greeted the Prime Minister, you could even see on the president’s face, pursed lips as if to say this was a close one.
And I know I watched that scene with my heart in my hands. Because this was a set of stone steps. And even though they were handrails and either side, he was directed by his advance team. Presumably to descend at the middle of those steps unaided. By the handrails, the Japanese Prime Minister, an aide or anything else. And that could have been really catastrophic. And so, my question to you is whether this whole series of incidents has led the White House Chief of Staff to direct some kind of review of the advance procedures that are employed on behalf of this, the nation’s oldest President?
JEAN-PIERRE: So let me say you’ve paid a lot of attention to that particular situation. I Actually, did not see that. I was with him in Hiroshima so this is something that I was not aware of, so I can’t speak to that particular moment. You know. Here’s what I will say. This is a President you know. That has had an incredibly impressive first two years. When you think about what he’s been able to get done. When you think about the record, historic pieces of legislation that are now into law. I just went into it, with the different pieces of legislation, that’s actually going to make a difference and change Americans lives. Americans, who truly need it. And that’s, I think is what the American people are looking for. They’re looking for someone that can actually deliver. Like the President has done.
And even last week when you think about the budget negotiations, you heard you heard from. You heard from Republicans, Congressional Republicans ranging from the right MAGA and members to Speaker McCarthy emphasize the President’s smarts and capabilities in making sure that there was is a bipartisan, reasonable common-sense, piece of legislation. A fiscally responsible piece of legislation that is going to help American families. And so you see him again and again and again over the past few years. Deliver whether it’s 2020 when people underestimated him and he got that done.
Whether it’s 2022, when people underestimated, got that done, whether it’s this budget agreement. He got that done. And I think that is the most important thing that the Americans are going to care about and that Americans are gonna look to and so, I will, I will leave that there.
ROSEN: I’m asking—
[crosstalk]
JEAN-PIERRE: Isn’t that what is important as a reporter? Don’t you think it’s important what Americans care about?
[crosstalk]
ROSEN: My question was—
JEAN-PIERRE: I’m just saying that is something that Americans want, isn’t that not true? That they have a leader that’s going to deliver for them.
ROSEN: Your proposition may or may not be true, but it’s not responsive to my question.
JEAN-PIERRE: I think it’s very true. You’re asking—No, I know what your question is. You’re asking me if we’re going to change anything from here, the Chief of Staff has asked for it to change anything from here. And here’s the thing, here’s the thing. We are not. Things happen. Other Presidents have had similar situations, as you know. And I’m sure you’ve reported on the last President who has had a similar situation. And so look. Things happen. This is a President that delivers and will continue to deliver for the American people and that’s what he cares about. I’ll see you guys tomorrow. Thank you.