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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.”
Below is a transcript of the exchange, via Grabien:
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.”
WATCH:
This is just the latest occasion that members of the White House press pool have expressed frustration with Jean-Pierre, who took over for Jen Psaki earlier this year.
Last month, several reporters complained that Jean-Pierre often gives “non-answers” or says outright that the White House has no comment on the news of the day.
One of the things she was criticized for was appearing to not be informed of the happenings of the president and the White House.
“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.”
Her predecessor Jen Psaki received cable news offers and widespread praise from the left-leaning press corps, with one White House scribe even anonymously confessing they were afraid to have a verbal scuffle with Psaki for fear of looking like an “a–hole.”
It hasn’t been as sunny for Jean-Pierre, with Politico’s West Wing Playbook already declaring last month she’d suffered “unforced stumbles” and private “grumbles” from reporters, owing to her tendency to stick to the binder and deliver talking points rather than engage in extemporaneous back-and-forths with the press.
“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 said.
Jean-Pierre has also had notable exchanges with Fox News reporter Peter Doocy, who has called President Joe Biden and the administration many times.
Below are just a few examples:
Peter Doocy Takes Jean-Pierre To The Woodshed Over Kavanaugh Being Accosted
‘Does Biden Take Any Responsibility?’: Doocy Grills Jean-Pierre On Inflation
Doocy, Reporters Grill KJP On Joe Biden’s Speech Labeling Many Americans As Extremists
