Tuesday’s White House press briefing featured some strong questions and softballs (such as one from a Polish radio reporter about President Biden’s Valentines Day plans), but the penultimate exchange was the most intriguing as Newsmax’s James Rosen pressed Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on whether the administration believes certain mediums of communication are weaker than others for Biden and whether he’s “woke.”
Always shrewd, Rosen began by telling her “there is obviously a variety of settings the President can employ: set pieces, impromptu remarks, teleprompter, no teleprompter, et cetera, et cetera” and, since “you work on his communications team,” it was worth asking how she views Biden’s ability to communicate in any and all forums.
He then leveled the boom that anyone could answer who’s watched Biden spend years misremembering and stumbling at times: “Is it the view of the President’s communications team that he is equally adept in all settings, in terms of communications? Or are there some that play to greater strengths, some where he probably isn’t as strong, et cetera.”
For once, Jean-Pierre came off prepared with an answer one should expect from any spokesperson: “I will tell you this: The President is the best communicator that we have in the White House.”
And on wokeism, Rosen stated “[o]ne of the most prominent themes...from both elected Republicans and candidates has to do with what is called ‘wokeism,’” which “reminds me of what Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart once said about obscenity — that he couldn’t define it, but he knew it when he saw it.”
Given the talk of “woke capitalism” and a “woke military,” Rosen said he thought it would be fitting to level “a threshold question”: “Is President Biden woke?”
Jean-Pierre refused to answer and instead dropped a word salad about “what the President cares about and what’s important to” him, which doesn’t involve “Republicans...creating political stunts” and ensuring economic growth and the national deficit from the GOP.
Rosen interjected: “So you wouldn’t describe him as ‘woke?’”
Jean-Pierre again refused to answer, claiming he’d “work with Republicans on how we are going to continue to deliver” for the American people, but would fight them tooth and nail on entitlements because “they” as a whole “want to cut Social Security” and “cut Medicare” (even though neither of those things are true).
To see the relevant briefing transcript from February 14, click “expand.”
White House press briefing [via Washington Post Live]
February 14, 2023
3:32 p.m. EasternJAMES ROSEN: I have two questions And one of the benefits of asking questions this late in the briefing is that you don’t have to be concerned with advancing the story incrementally of the day; you can just ask about, sort of, broader things. So, with that in mind: First, on the communications team, and then on the cultural — so-called culture wars. Where the President’s communications are concerned — and I’m asking you because you work on his communications team; you’re a professional communicator — there is obviously a variety of settings the President can employ: set pieces, impromptu remarks, teleprompter, no teleprompter, et cetera, et cetera. Is it the view of the President’s communications team that he is equally adept in all settings, in terms of communications? Or are there some that play to greater strengths, some where he probably isn’t as strong, et cetera?
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: I will tell you this: The President is the best communicator that we have in the White House. [TO LYNN SWEET] Go ahead. Go ahead. Right here.
ROSEN: Okay. Next question was on the so-called —
JEAN-PIERRE: Okay.
ROSEN: — culture wars, if you would and I appreciate it.
JEAN-PIERRE: Sure.
ROSEN: One of the most prominent themes that we hear from both elected Republicans and candidates has to do with what is called “wokeism.” And we hear about an “anti-woke” agenda. And this entire subject reminds me of what Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart once said about obscenity — that he couldn’t define it, but he knew it when he saw it and so, we hear so much talk about “woke capitalism,” a “woke military,” and so on. And by way of trying to clarify this for the American people, I wonder if we couldn’t begin with a threshold question to wit: Is President Biden woke?
JEAN-PIERRE: So, let me tell you what the President cares about and what’s important to this President. The President doesn’t — doesn’t concern himself about what Republicans are trying to do in creating political stunts, in making an issue out of the things that they feel benefits them politically — not the American people, not what matters to the American people, but what benefits them politically for their own — for their own ability to move forward. What the President cares about is exactly what I just talked about and what he talked about at the legislative conference, which is how are we going to continue to deliver for the American people. You heard him say that at the State of the Union. You heard him talk about how the economy has grown the last two years, the progress that we have made. And guess what? He wants to continue that progress. He wants to continue to move forward to make sure that we lower the deficit, which he did the first two years by $1.7 trillion, and be fiscally responsible.
ROSEN: So you wouldn’t describe him as “woke”?
JEAN-PIERRE: But he’s — but he’s — but he wants to work with Republicans on how we are going to continue to deliver, how we are going to build on the economic progress that we’re seeing. That’s not what they want to do. What they want to do is they want to cut Social Security. What they want to do is they want to cut Medicare. And they want to take us back and not actually deal with issues that matter to the American people. Can you imagine — can you imagine if you’re an American out there, and you hear your congressional member talking about how they want to cut Social Security, talking about how they want to cut Medicare — something that you have worked very hard for many, many years and paid into so you can get those programs. But yet, that Republican senator — who we’ve been talking about — from Florida, has continued to talk about how they want to sunset these — these programs. That’s not what we’re about. We’re about fighting for these — for these programs. And that’s what you’re going to see from the President, and that’s what he cares about.
