ABC’s Wang Repeatedly Complains to KJP About Elon Musk, Lobbying He Face DOJ’s Wrath

Curtis Houck
October 22nd, 2024 10:20 AM

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Monday’s White House press briefing was a light affair given the world’s focus on the upcoming election, but there were still some notable exchanges, led by ABC senior White House correspondent Selina Wang beating the liberal media’s drum that Telsa founder and X owner Elon Musk should face the wrath of the Biden-Harris Justice Department for his $1 million giveaways to registered voters in swing states who sign a petition with his group America PAC.

“Elon Musk is pledging to give away $1 million every day up until the election to voters in battleground states. Some experts are saying this is clearly illegal vote buying. Does the White House believe what he’s doing is illegal,” Wang huffed, to which Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre declined to comment.

 

 

Wang really, really wanted Musk to pay for his political activity, though: “Can you talk about how the President’s reacting to this in terms of does he believe it’s appropriate? Does he agree with what Governor Shapiro is saying about how this needs to be investigated?”

To her credit, Jean-Pierre didn’t change her answer, saying that’s not something for her “to speak to” and she “would have to leave to” the Federal Elections Commission.

Wang tried not once but twice more, implying something should happen to Musk’s company SpaceX given its government contracts (click “expand”):

WANG: And if you could just talk broadly about what Trump has also said about making Musk the head of a new government efficiency commission. Does the White House see that as a conflict of interest given the fact that Musk’s companies have so many contracts with government agencies —

JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

WANG: — and it could potentially give them the power to regulate the agencies that hold sway over his own company?

JEAN-PIERRE: Well, since that’s a campaign related item there, what they’re planning to do next or what it looks like under — uh — uh — uh — you know, and — and — and their platform for his campaign, I’m just not going to respond to it from here.

WANG: Any reaction from the President or White House about Elon Musk’s role at this moment in the political discussion?

JEAN-PIERRE: I have no response — no comment on that at this moment.

A few moments later, NBC’s Monica Alba cued up a softball on FEMA funding and kvetched about Donald Trump’s “misleading information” that she insists will significantly prolong recovery efforts in North Carolina from Hurricane Helene.

A good tell it was a good softball? Jean-Pierre thanked her for the question (click “expand”):

ALBA: Finally, former President Trump is in North Carolina today. He was talking about some of the FEMA efforts there. He called the rescue effort “non-existent.” He repeated some misleading information about where some of the funds have been directed to. So, how concerned —

JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

ALBA: — is the White House still about what that might do to not just people taking in this information again that’s misleading, but to voters —

JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

ALBA: — specifically in key states where the devastation of the hurricane’s —

JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

ALBA: — has been evident?

JEAN-PIERRE: Well, I’m glad in your question you said misleading information, which is true, misleading information that is being — uh — put out there and — and it’s not just from us, you’ve heard from Republicans and Democrats — right — in North Carolina who have said — who have — who have made it very clear by pushing these types of conspiracy theories, they are dangerous. They are unhelpful, and it is, it is not — uh — uh — it is not what leadership looks like. I’ll say it there — like that and uh and it is a time when you see something like that, these types of hurricanes that have impacted communities the way that they have — both of them, Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton — it’s time that you bring a — you bring a community together and stand by each other. And so, you’ve heard from — again, the governors of all of these states — well — in particular in particular, certainly as we’re talking about governor in — — in New — in — uh — sorry, North Carolina, he spoke to this today and he said the Biden-Harris administration has responded quickly and positively to our request. The federal government has been responsive to all — to our call for help. That’s coming from the governor of North Carolina. We also heard from the mayor of Asheville as well. And so, we have seen a bipartisan — uh — uh — reaction to this — uh — appreciation for what — for what this administration has been able to do and the reason we’ve been able to do this work on the ground is because we’ve had a good partnership with local and state officials on the ground, and this type of con — conspiracy — a theory that’s out there, it is dangerous to your point and your question. It’s dangerous, it’s unhelpful, and it gets in the way.

Later on, far-left Washington Post reporter Toluse Olorunnipa lamented to Jean-Pierre that endangered Senate Democrats Tammy Baldwin (WI) and Bob Casey (PA) have made ads promoting their bipartisan bona fides by showing where they agree with Trump:

Jon Decker of local TV station conglomerate Gray TV tried to have Jean-Pierre explain where Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden differ on policy. But, like the increasing number of blunders from Harris on this topic, Jean-Pierre tossed a word salad:

Finally, Fox Business’s Edward Lawrence chose to continue pressing this administration on American weakness abroad with developing nations cozying up to Russia:

He also had a follow-up, noting the newest member of BRICS is the United Arab Emirates with rapidly growing ties between the two on the issue of artificial intelligence and thus there’s cause for concern such technological advances could be scooped up by Russia.

To see the relevant transcript from the October 21 briefing, click here.

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