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Press Briefing Erupts As Reporter Demands KJP Answer Question

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OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.


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.”

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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.”

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WATCH:

President Joe Biden just got another round of horrible news as November’s crucial midterm elections are now less than one month away.

A brand new Ipsos poll found that just 39 percent of respondents approved of the job Biden is doing as president. Only 9 percent said they believe the country is heading in the right direction under Biden and Democratic leadership, with a whopping 74 percent saying America is on the wrong track.

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Meanwhile, 54 percent disapprove of Biden’s job performance and just 25 percent of Independents say they approve of Biden’s performance. Americans are feeling the pain, economically, without question.

A separate poll this week found that a majority of Americans are fed up with high prices and disapprove of Biden’s handling of the economy overall.

Below are some of the topline findings from the AP-NORC poll:

–Some 46% of people now call their personal financial situation poor, up from 37% in March, according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. That’s a notable downturn at a particularly inopportune moment for Biden, given that the share of Americans who felt positive about their finances had stayed rock steady over the last few years — even during the economic turmoil of the COVID-19 pandemic.

–Overall, 54% say their finances are good in the latest survey. That figure was at least 62% through the global recession caused by the pandemic in 2020, and even in late 2021 and early 2022 as prices began to rise across the country.

–Forty-three percent say they approve of how Biden is handling his job as president, while 25% say the country is headed in the right direction. Biden’s approval rating had dropped as low as 36% in a July AP-NORC poll, and the percentage saying the country is headed in the right direction dropped as low as 14% in June.

–The drop in financial well-being was especially acute among Americans in households making less than $50,000 a year, just 33% of whom now call their personal finances good compared with 50% in March. Sixty-one percent of those in a household making between $50,000 and $100,000 call their personal finances good, as do 75% of those making more than that — both down only slightly since earlier in the year.

–In the latest poll, 23% call the national economy good. That’s similar to the percentage in June but down slightly from 29% in September, when views of the national economy had shown signs of improvement. The drop since September came primarily among Democrats, from 46% then to 35% now.

–But the economy has proved a challenge — with gasoline costs becoming a renewed source of financial pressure. The average price at the pump was $3.92 a gallon on Wednesday, up roughly 5.5% from a month ago, according to AAA. Support for Biden had picked up after a 99-day drop in gas prices from a June high that ended in September.

–Only 36% say they approve and 63% disapprove. But Americans aren’t heaping all the blame for inflation at Biden’s feet: 55% say higher-than-usual prices are mostly because of factors outside Biden’s control, while 44% say that’s happening mostly because of Biden’s policies.

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