OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
He sees dead people.
President Joe Biden was attending a conference on combating hunger and giving a speech when he mentioned a deceased Congresswoman, asking if she was there.
“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.
The reference was to the late Republican Indiana Rep. Jackie Walorski who was killed in a car crash in August.
"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.
“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?” a reporter said.
“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.
“All of you may have views on — on how I’m answering it, but I am answering the question to the way that he saw it and the way that we see it.
“We have to remember as well, is that, you know, this was an important event today. This was an event about food security. This was a be- — event about how we’re going to take the steps to get to eradicate hunger by 2030. And that is something that the President takes very personally. That is something that the — we wouldn’t be doing this event that has not happened since President Nixon — right? — that was 50 years ago that an event like this occurred at the White House,” she said.
“So, clearly, this is something that is important. Clearly, this is something that he really honors, both Republican and Democratic congressional champions, when it comes to this issue.
“Again, she was at the top of mind. He is going to be seeing her family in two days to honor her, to honor the work that she has done. And — and, you know, this was a remarkable legacy that she had, and we should be honoring that,” she said.
