OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy has continued his tradition of taking the fight to the press secretaries of President Joe Biden with the new Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
It came on Friday, after Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh had to sneak from a steakhouse because there were pro-abortion protesters outside.
Doocy used the “right to privacy” argument used by pro-choice advocates to argue for Justice Kavanaugh’s right to privacy.
DOOCY: Thank you, Karine. You’ve talked a little bit about privacy today. Does the President think it’s appropriate for abortion rights protesters to intimidate Supreme Court justices when they’re out to eat, like Brett Kavanaugh, who had to sneak out of a steakhouse last night?
JEAN-PIERRE: We have been pretty clear on this, the President has been very clear, that we condemn any intimidation of judges in this specific question here. We have condemned that. We have signed — he has assigned a piece of legislation making sure that they have the protection that they need. And so we —
DOOCY: But you never said, “Don’t go to their houses.” So as long as they’re peaceful, would you say, “Don’t go to a restaurant that a Supreme Court justice is at”?
JEAN-PIERRE: What I’m saying is we condemn any intimidation when it comes to judges. We’ve been — the President has talked about this, and we have put out statements in his name and many, many times.
DOOCY: So there are circumstances that it’s okay if protesters know that if a justice is out to eat at a restaurant, that pro- —
JEAN-PIERRE: Well —
DOOCY: — that they can go and protest as long as they are what you consider peaceful? That’s okay?
JEAN-PIERRE: Well, we have said that we want to see peaceful protests. That’s what we have said. We want to see the pe- — the protests be peaceful. But when it comes to intimidation, that is something that we have condemned.
DOOCY: So where’s the line? If these protesters can go to a justice’s house and they can go to a restaurant, where is it that you don’t think it’s appropriate for a group of protesters to go?
JEAN-PIERRE: Where is — I just laid out. You asked me about intimidation. We condemn intimidation. We condemn any violence. And we’ve been very clear that is — it is like clear — it is a clear definition of what violence is and what intimidation is. Peaceful protest — people should be allowed to be — to be able to do that.
DOOCY: In a restaurant?
JEAN-PIERRE: If it’s outside of a restaurant, if it’s peaceful, for sure.
DOOCY: Really?
JEAN-PIERRE: Peaceful protest. Where is — you were — your first question to me was “intimidation” —
DOOCY: So these justices —
JEAN-PIERRE: — and violence.
DOOCY: — because protesters do not agree with an opinion that they signed on to, have no right to privacy, is what you’re saying?
JEAN-PIERRE: But, Peter, this is — this is — people have the right — this is what a democracy is. People have the right —
DOOCY: Do people have a right to privacy?
JEAN-PIERRE: Of course, people have a right to privacy, but people also have a right to be able to protest peacefully. Peacefully.
DOOCY: Is that safe?
JEAN-PIERRE: It’s the intimidation and the violence that we condemn.
DOOCY: Is — is that safe?
JEAN-PIERRE: Peter —
DOOCY: Isn’t that creating a potential really bad situation when there are people — even if they’re being peaceful at the time, they’re angry. And that’s why they would be there, right?
JEAN-PIERRE: Peter, we have condemned any intimidation and violence.
DOOCY: But you just said it’s okay if they go to a restaurant.
JEAN-PIERRE: I said peaceful protest should be allowed. We do — we do commen- — condemn intimidation —
DOOCY: That’s not —
JEAN-PIERRE: — and we condemn any violence at any — whatever — every ty- — whatever type of violence. We’ve been very clear on that. We’ve been —
DOOCY: So President Biden —
JEAN-PIERRE: And the President has signed — the President has signed legislation that was passed bipart- — in a bipartisan way in Congress to make sure that the judges have the protection that they need. We — this administration — has provided U.S. Marshals, through the DOJ, to make sure that these judges are protected. So we have shown how we want to make sure that intimidation and violence is not the way to go. It is not the way to have a political discourse.
I’m done here, Peter.
