Given the fact that much of Thursday’s news cycles were dominated by the death of O.J. Simpson, it shouldn’t have been that surprising Simpson was invoked during the White House press briefing. Somehow, the ever-inept Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre had a cringeworthy answer.
The Associated Press’s Darlene Superville has always been a Biden hack, so she probably thought she was helping the White House out with her third question being about the corrupt and disgraced former NFL player (after two about Israel): “Was there any reaction from the President to O.J. Simpson’s death? Do you know if they ever crossed paths? If so, how? When?”
Setting aside the unintentionally somewhat on-the-nose “crossed paths” phrase, Jean-Pierre’s answer showed complete callousness to the family of those many believe Simpson killed, Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman.
“So, I’ll say this,” Jean-Pierre began (as she often does) before adding “[o]ur thoughts are with — with his families during this difficult time — obviously, with his family and loved ones.”
Yeeesh. Based on the creative litany of responses to a video tweet of the exchange, the public certainly has been left scratching its head. It was as though Simpson were some revered statesman or cabinet secretary, not a man with the nickname The Juice whose smarmy behavior led to a life of ruin after evading guilt in the criminal trial for the deaths of Nicole and Ron.
Alluding to the tweet from Simpson’s account by his family announcing his death, Jean-Pierre concluded:
[A]nd I’ll say this. I know that they have asked for some privacy and so, we’re going to respect that. I’ll just leave it there.
To see the relevant transcript from the April 11 briefing, click “expand.”
White House press briefing [via ABC News Live subfeed]
April 11, 2024
2:11 p.m. EasternDARLENE SUPERVILLE: Was there any reaction from the President to O.J. Simpson’s death? Do you know if they ever crossed paths? If so, how? When?
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: So, I’ll say this. Our thoughts are with — with his families during this difficult time — obviously, with his family and loved ones, and I’ll say this. I know that they have asked for some privacy and so, we’re going to respect that. I’ll just leave it there.
