OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has a tough job having to explain the words that President Joe Biden says and sometimes the frustration shows.
It started on Wednesday when it appeared that the president was looking for the late Republican Indiana Rep. Jackie Walorski, who died in August, at an event.
“And I want to thank all of you here, including bipartisan elected officials like Representative McGovern, Senator Braun, Senator Booker, Representative — Jackie, are you here? Where’s Jackie? I didn’t think she was — she wasn’t going to be here — to help make this a reality. And thanks to Senator Stabenow, Representative DeLauro for their leadership,” he said.
"Jackie are you here? Where's Jackie?"
Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-IN) died in a car accident in August pic.twitter.com/cHc3b7zPmE
— Charlie Spiering (@charliespiering) September 28, 2022
During her press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was repeatedly asked about the mistake.
“What happened in the hunger event today? The President appeared to look around the room for an audience member, a member of Congress who passed away last month. He seemed to indicate she might be in the room. What happened there?” a reporter said.
“So the President was, as you all know — you guys were watching today’s event, a very important event on food insecurity. The President was naming the congressional champions on this issue and was acknowledging her incredible work. He had — he had already planned to welcome the congresswoman’s family to the White House on Friday. There will be a bill signing in her honor this coming Friday,” the press secretary said.
“So, of course, she was on his mind. She was of top of mind for the President. He looks — very much looks forward to discussing her remarkable legacy of public service with them when he sees her family this coming Friday,” she said.
“He said, ‘Jackie, are you here? Where’s Jackie? She must not be here,’” the reporter said.
“No, I totally understand. I just — I just explained she was on top of mind. You know, this wasn’t — what we were able to witness today and what the President was able to lift up in this — at this conference at this event was how her — her focus on wanting to deal with, combat food — food insecurity in America. And this is something that he was lifting up and honoring,” the press secretary said.
“And, again, he knows that he’s going to see her family this coming Friday. There’s a bill signing that’s going to happen in renaming a VA clinic in Indiana after the late congresswoman. He knows that he is going to see her family, and she was at top of mind,” she said.
Reporter: "What happened when Biden said where is Jackie Walorski?"
Jean-Pierre: "The president was acknowledging her incredible work."
Reporter: "He said 'Jackie, Jackie, where is Jackie?'"
Jean-Pierre: "She was clearly on top of his mind." pic.twitter.com/y1TljVg1BW
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) September 28, 2022
But the reporters were not done.
“Karine, I have John Lennon top of mind just about everyday but I’m not looking around for him anywhere,” Newsmax reporter James Rosen said.
“When you sign a bill for John Lennon as President then we can have this conversation,” she hit back.
“These moments of confusion are happening — Americans are watching this and are concerned. What do you say to that? This is a legitimate question, we need to have some answer,” another reporter said as more reporters started shouting questions.
The reporter said as a male reporter started asking his question.
“I’m sorry, someone was yelling over you,” she said to the reporter.
.@PressSec told a reporter she was being "incredibly rude" when shouting follow-up questions about Biden's mental state after calling for a deceased GOP lawmaker at an event earlier today.
Biden had her "top of mind," which is why he called for her, the WH says. pic.twitter.com/6GKY1kW9Gs
— National Review (@NRO) September 28, 2022
The female reporter began to shout again, demanding answers on the president’s cognitive abilities.
“It is not your turn to speak and you’re being rude to your colleagues,” she said. “You’re yelling over your colleague so that is incredibly rude.”
“Okay then, just to try one more time: Does the President believe that in his reference to the late Representative Jackie Walorski — who, you have said from the podium numerous times, he respects the work that she has done, he’ll be meeting with her family to honor her work — does he believe he handled that reference appropriately? Or is this something that he would like to get back?” another reporter said at another time in the press briefing.
“Look, I know this is a question that many of you have had. I’ve answered it multiple times already in this room. And my answer is certainly not going to change,” the press secretary said.
