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Tag Archives: JeanPierre
White House reporters out of patience with Jean-Pierre over docs: CNN
The White House press corps is fed up with Karine Jean-Pierre’s stonewalling about the classified documents scandal that has enveloped the Biden administration, with some reporters calling the press secretary’s regular briefings a “painful waste of time.”
“She is arguably the least effective White House press secretary of the television era,” one correspondent told CNN’s “Reliable Sources” newsletter Wednesday, though the person added the pejorative did not apply to press secretaries for former President Donald Trump.
Since Jan. 9, when the White House confirmed that sensitive materials had been found at the Penn Biden Center think tank in Washington, and the president’s Wilmington, Del. home, Jean-Pierre has stuck to her talking points, and refused to let officials from the Justice Department or White House Counsel’s office face the press amid the ongoing special counsel investigation.
That hasn’t sat well with journalists, who have grilled Jean-Pierre day after day about the White House’s lack of transparency.
“You just get the feeling that you’re wasting your time and whatever is in front of her in the binder is all she is going to say, no matter how many times you ask the question,” another reporter told CNN. “It’s just a painful waste of time.”
Jean-Pierre, the first black person and first openly gay person to serve as the chief White House press rep, has been widely mocked online for appearing to refer exclusively to a thick binder for talking points in response to reporter questions.
But her ongoing evasions over the documents have drawn the open ire of reporters for outlets that span the political spectrum.
“I think you can tell the temperature has gone up a lot in the last few days,” one reporter told CNN.
At Wednesday’s briefing, Jacqui Heinrich of Fox News accused the administration of creating an “information blackout” — while Jean-Pierre tried to shut down another reporter’s line of questioning by attempting to call on someone else.
“I just commented. I just commented,” Jean-Pierre insisted to the reporter, Jon Decker of Gray Television, after she referred another of his questions to the Justice Department. “We’re moving on…. I already answered your question.”
“You really didn’t,” Decker said.
“Well, I — I did,” Jean-Pierre insisted.
“You didn’t,” Decker shot back, to which Jean-Pierre responded: “It’s your opinion. It’s your opinion. It’s your opinion. That is your opinion.”
Most galling, according to the CNN report, is that Jean-Pierre failed to notify the press corps last Friday that more classified documents had been recovered the night before at Biden’s home in Delaware.
”On Friday, you stood here, though, and were asked about this documents issue, by our count, some 18 times,” ABC News’ Cecilia Vega pressed Jean-Pierre on Tuesday. “At that point, the president’s lawyers had found these five additional pages of classified documents. So, did you not know on Friday that those documents had been found when you were at the podium? Or are you being directed by someone to not be forthcoming on this issue?”
Jean-Pierre said she had been “forthcoming from this podium,” pointing out that she repeated what the White House counsel’s office said in a previously released statement.
“Right. And we had that statement, so we knew what was in it,” Vega said.
At Tuesday’s briefing, Jean-Pierre admitted that she was also unaware of the discovery of the documents at the Penn Biden Center on Nov. 2 and only learned about them when CBS News reported on the find Jan. 9.
”There is the expectation that when you say something, it’s going to be true,” one reporter told CNN. “That’s been the biggest credibility hit for her, it’s answering a question in a way that ends up not being true.”
“She is really liked, personally,” another reporter put it more bluntly, “but that shouldn’t be an excuse for her competence professionally.”
The White House defended Jean-Pierre, insisting to CNN she was restricted about what she can say because of the Justice Department probe, though NBC News reported this week the DOJ has not prevented the White House from talking about the probe’s underlying facts if it wishes.
An administration official said Jean-Pierre is acting in a manner that’s consistent with “prior White House press secretaries from both parties who have responsibly respected ongoing DOJ investigations and referred to the relevant authorities.”
The White House aide said the press secretary was ”wisely and appropriately affirming the White House’s position of total cooperation and being careful not to go further to respect the integrity of an investigation.”
”If reporters are concerned about substance and getting facts shared with them, they have had venues for that,” the official went on.
Karine Jean-Pierre named first Black White House press secretary
WASHINGTON, May 5 (Reuters) – President Joe Biden said on Thursday he has chosen Karine Jean-Pierre to be White House press secretary, succeeding Jen Psaki and becoming the first Black and openly gay person to serve as the public face of a U.S. administration.
Psaki, who leaves the job on May 13, had said early in the Biden administration, which started in January of 2021, that she planned to stay about a year.
Jean-Pierre has served as deputy press secretary since the beginning of Biden’s term. She worked on his 2020 presidential campaign, in President Barack Obama’s White House, and was chief public affairs officer for MoveOn.org, a progressive advocacy group.
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Biden has pledged to name top officials, cabinet members and judges who reflect the diversity of America, where white people make up less than 60% of the population but have traditionally held most top government jobs.
“Karine not only brings the experience, talent and integrity needed for this difficult job, but she will continue to lead the way in communicating about the work of the Biden-Harris Administration on behalf of the American people,” he said in a statement.
The press secretary is the highest profile public-facing staff job in the White House.
White House Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre smiles after being introduced by current White House Press Secretary Jennifer Psaki as President Joe Biden’s next White House press secretary at the White House in Washington, U.S., May 5, 2022. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
“This is a historic moment, and it’s not lost on me,” Jean-Pierre said in a brief appearance in the White House press room. “It is an honor and a privilege to be behind this podium.”
Dee Dee Meyers became the first woman to have the job in the 1990s under former President Bill Clinton.
Psaki was named by Biden after tumultuous relations with the media under Republican former President Donald Trump.
“Jen Psaki has set the standard for returning decency, respect and decorum to the White House Briefing Room,” Biden said, thanking her for “raising the bar, communicating directly and truthfully to the American people, and keeping her sense of humor while doing so.”
Psaki is known for a confident, no-nonsense, rapid-fire delivery from the White House podium. Jean-Pierre, who was chief of staff for Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris in 2020, has tended to stick closely to talking points during her press appearances as Psaki’s deputy.
Psaki said Biden offered Jean-Pierre the job during an Oval Office meeting on Thursday afternoon.
“She comes to this job with decades of experience, even though she looks very young,” Psaki said, adding her appointment will give a “voice to so many and allow and show what is truly possible when you work hard and dream big.”
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Reporting by Jeff Mason and Nandita Bose; additional reporting by Steve Holland and Doina Chiacu; Editing by Alistair Bell and Stephen Coates
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Karine Jean-Pierre Is Named White House Press Secretary
WASHINGTON — President Biden on Thursday selected Karine Jean-Pierre, the principal deputy press secretary, to replace Jen Psaki as the top White House spokeswoman, making her the first Black woman to hold one of the most high-profile jobs in American politics.
Ms. Jean-Pierre, who worked on Mr. Biden’s campaign and has had a long career in Democratic communications, will become the president’s second White House press secretary. In her new role, she will have the high-pressure job of delivering daily briefings from the lectern in the briefing room.
In a statement, Mr. Biden said Ms. Jean-Pierre “not only brings the experience, talent and integrity needed for this difficult job, but she will continue to lead the way in communicating about the work of the Biden-Harris administration on behalf of the American people.”
He predicted that she would be “a strong voice speaking for me and this administration.”
Ms. Psaki’s last day as press secretary will be May 13. She is expected to take an on-air role with MSNBC.
“I’m going to cry,” Ms. Psaki said on Thursday before turning to the row of seats where Ms. Jean-Pierre usually observes the news briefing and waving for her to come to the lectern.
After noting that her successor will be the first Black woman and openly gay person to serve as press secretary, Ms. Psaki said that Ms. Jean-Pierre “will give a voice to so many.”
Ms. Jean-Pierre, 44, will face the challenge of conveying the administration’s message ahead of midterm elections that are expected to pose a significant challenge for Democrats. Mr. Biden’s team has acknowledged that administration officials have struggled to traverse the country and speak to the public during the pandemic, and the president himself has said he should be traveling more and talking to voters about his priorities.
Mr. Biden has added other communications veterans to his team recently. Ian Sams, who had been a spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services, has joined the White House staff as a spokesman for the counsel’s office. And Anita Dunn, a top Biden adviser during his campaign and early in his presidency, will leave the political consulting firm SKDK and rejoin the administration as a senior adviser to Mr. Biden.
Ms. Jean-Pierre has taken the lectern in the White House briefing room on a few occasions; last May, she became the first Black woman in decades to address reporters on behalf of the president in the briefing room. Her more frequent formal interactions with the news media came aboard Air Force One, where she often delivered news briefings during Mr. Biden’s trips.
But the sense of history being made was not lost on members of the White House press team or reporters attending a news briefing on Thursday that displayed both celebrations of representation and the polarizing issues dividing the country. The briefing shifted among emotional tributes, a presentation of seized Russian yachts, inspiring messages and shouted questions about Mr. Biden’s stance on abortion.
Asked about the historic nature of her promotion, Ms. Jean-Pierre responded, “It’s not lost on me.”
“I understand how important it is for so many people out there, so many different communities,” she said. “That I stand on their shoulders, and I have been throughout my career.”
Ms. Jean-Pierre said she thought it was important for young Black children to see someone who looks like them behind the presidential lectern.
“Follow your passion, follow what you believe in and just keep that focus,” she said.
Mr. Biden called Ms. Jean-Pierre into the Oval Office on Thursday afternoon to formally offer her the position, according to a White House official. The press team celebrated by drinking warm champagne in Styrofoam cups bearing the presidential seal, the official said.
Before stepping down from the lectern, Ms. Jean-Pierre was asked if she ever doubted that she would be able to attain the position of press secretary as a Black woman.
“No, not at all,” she said. “Just worked hard towards it. But I understand how hard it is. I do.”
Karine Jean-Pierre to become White House press secretary, the first Black and out LGBTQ person in the role
Jean-Pierre currently serves as the White House’s principal deputy press secretary.
“Karine not only brings the experience, talent and integrity needed for this difficult job, but she will continue to lead the way in communicating about the work of the Biden-Harris Administration on behalf of the American people,” Biden said in a statement, adding that “Jen Psaki has set the standard for returning decency, respect and decorum to the White House Briefing Room.”
Jean-Pierre will formally begin following Psaki’s last day, which will be May 13. CNN reported in April that Psaki was planning on leaving her role for one at MSNBC.
Last May, Jean-Pierre became the second Black woman in history to hold the daily press briefing. She has served on the White House’s senior communications team since Biden took office and before that was an adviser to his campaign and chief of staff to now-Vice President Kamala Harris.
Jean-Pierre’s family includes her partner, CNN national correspondent Suzanne Malveaux, and their daughter.
Jean-Pierre is familiar with her new role. She is often in the room when Psaki briefs reporters, has filled in for her for at the lectern and has also gaggled with reporters traveling with Biden on Air Force One. Recently, she replaced Psaki at the last minute for Biden’s four-day trip to Europe amid the Russian invasion after Psaki tested positive for Covid-19 the day before Biden was scheduled to leave.
Psaki’s departure is unsurprising, given she had been public about her plan to leave after one year on the job. Several names had been under consideration to replace her, including Pentagon spokesman John Kirby, who has become a visible face of the administration in briefings and on cable television since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine.
Psaki on Twitter said she was “grateful” to Biden and first lady Jill Biden, and described Jean-Pierre as a “remarkable woman.”
“Representation matters and she will give a voice to many, but also make many dream big about what is truly possible,” Psaki wrote.
Psaki added, “I can’t wait to see her shine as she brings her own style, brilliance and grace to the podium.”
Close Biden adviser returns to White House
The staffing shakeup in the press office comes as the White House is making several other personnel moves in preparation for a potential Republican takeover on Capitol Hill in the midterm elections. One of Biden’s closest advisers, Anita Dunn, will return to the West Wing as a senior adviser, as his team also shores up the White House counsel’s office, given Republicans have promised to launch a slew of investigations if they retake the majority.
Dunn is permanently leaving her consulting firm, SKDK, people familiar with the matter tell CNN. She will no longer be a partner in the firm or listed on the company’s website, people familiar with the matter say.
While Dunn no longer owns a piece of the firm, after it was sold in 2015, her role as a top strategist to Biden, former President Barack Obama and many other elected Democratic officials has given SKDK significant prominence in Washington and beyond. During the presidential campaign and the first several months of the Biden administration, Dunn took a leave of absence from the firm. But given the new role at the White House, people familiar with the matter say, she is severing ties with the firm.
An official says Dunn will now be a full-time staff member, and — as with any other full-time staff member — will sign the ethics pledge, file an OGE 278 and be subject to all White House ethics and conflict of interest rules, including “rigorous counseling” on her ethics obligations.
This story has been updated with additional developments on Thursday.
CNN’s Jeff Zeleny contributed to this report.