Not Letting Up: Doocy, Bruce, Wegmann PUMMEL KJP Over Classified Docs

January 23rd, 2023 11:08 PM

During Monday’s White House press briefing, a handful of members of the White House press corps continued pressing the incompetent diversity hire, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre over the fifth batch of classified documents found in President Joe Biden’s home in Delaware and his regime’s lack of transparency over the scandal. 

First out of the gate on this topic was a series of spicy barbs thrown by ABC’s Mary Bruce who asked Jean-Pierre: “You have said though from this podium many, many times over the last two weeks that this President takes the handling of classified material very seriously, and yet we continue to learn about more documents being found and discovered at his home.” 

Due to those facts, Bruce asked: “Why should the American people believe that this President takes classified material seriously and the handling of it?” 

Of course, Jean-Pierre, like all the prior times she’s been asked, had no real answer. “The American people heard from the President directly on this when he was asked by your colleagues at least twice now about how he sees this process,” she mumbled. 

“I think as it relates to the American people and the President standing with the American people, it is going to be up to them to decide how they see this President,” she added. 

Unphased by Jean-Pierre’s incoherent answers, Bruce followed up: “I want to ask one more time, you have been the one messaging that he takes this seriously. You have also been saying over and over again, you are cooperating fully with this investigation.”

“That hasn’t changed, Mary,” Jean-Pierre interjected. 

Bruce then asked, “why did it take several searches and the FBI coming in to uncover the full extent of the documents?”  

Since she has zero ability to think on her feet and is thoroughly incapable of answering basic questions, Jean-Pierre returned to the same tired (and obviously false) line she gives each and every time she’s asked about the documents: “the President has said many times he takes this very seriously.” 

One moment in the briefing that raised eyebrows was when Jean-Pierre claimed Biden “was surprised that the documents were there” at his home. 

 

 

 

Bruce caught that apparent slip-up and spoke truth to power by asking the rhetorical question: “You understand how the American people might question that? Given that you keep–every few days it seems we are finding more documents have been found at his house.” 

Later on, it was CBS’s Nancy Cordes’ turn to skewer Jean-Pierre and noted that despite Biden claiming “he takes classified material and the handling of it very seriously. This weekend top Senate Democrats who have known him for decades described this situation as unacceptable and completely irresponsible.” Asking: “What’s the disconnect here?”  

Then it was Peter Doocy’s turn to take a swing at Jean-Pierre. First Doocy cut the tension out of the room with a humorous question: “When you found out that the FBI had located even more classified materials in Wilmington, which four-letter word did you use?”

That got a giggle out of her and a “Oh my goodness, Peter!” 

After the laughter died down, Doocy asked if Biden “is still intending to run for President in 2024.”

"I’ll just repeat what the President said after the midterm election which is he intends to run,” Jean-Pierre responded. 

After laying the trap, Doocy asked if there’s a “precedent for people running for President after FBI agents search their sock drawer?” 

Playing dumb and refusing to answer the question, Jean-Pierre replied that “[i]t sounds like you already know the answer to that question.” 

“I don't know the answer to that question. An FBI search of a President’s residence is a big, big deal,” Doocy responded. 

The last good question came from Real Clear Politics’ Phillip Wegmann who simply wanted to know that since “the President takes these classified documents very seriously,” “what would you point us to that would demonstrate that seriousness?” 

Jean-Pierre attempted to dodge by referring Wegmann to the White House counsel’s office, but he wasn’t having it. 

“You can’t tell us how? The President continues to say he takes this seriously and you can’t demonstrate how he takes it seriously?” Wegmann responded in indignation. 

Instead, Biden’s incompetent press secretary backtracked and said “you’ve seen the statements, you’ve heard from the President a couple of times. You’ve heard from his personal lawyer, you’ve heard from the White House counsel’s office, and that’s where I’m going to leave it.” 

In what was the dumbest question asked during Monday’s briefing, The Wall Street Journal’s Andrew Restuccia changed topics and asked Jean-Pierre if she knows “whether any women or people of color were considered for the position of Chief of Staff?” 

This was apparently Restuccia’s attempt to get virtue signal points from his fellow leftists in the press briefing room and in HR departments in the big Wall Street firms and financial institutions his paper covers. Jean-Pierre is a perfect example of why you should never hire someone just because of their skin color or who they sleep with. 

The relevant portions of the January 23, 2023, White House Press Briefing is below. Click “expand” to read:

White House Press Briefing 
1/23/2023
3:10:44 p.m. Eastern

MARY BRUCE: Another question on the documents. You have said though from this podium many many times over the last two weeks that this President takes the handling of classified material very seriously, and yet we continue to learn about more documents being found and discovered at his home. Including now some that go back decades to his time in the Senate. So why should the American people believe that this President takes classified material seriously and the handling of it? 

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: Look the President, the American people heard from the President directly on this when he was asked by your colleagues at least twice now about how he sees this process. And he was very clear. With the response of what we were seeing. He says I take this very seriously. He says I didn’t know that the documents were they are. And look, I think as it relates to the American people and the President standing with the American people, it is going to be up to them to decide how they see this President. 

Look, this is a President that came into office 9 million people had lost their jobs, the unemployment rate was 6.3 percent and hundreds of thousands of small businesses had closed their doors and in the past two years, we’ve created nearly 11 million jobs. The unemployment rate is at a record low, at 50-year record low. The last two years were the best years for small business applications on record. We talked about that last week just from here. The President has built the most significant legislative record since LBJ.

[...]

BRUCE: But I want to ask one more time, you have been the one messaging that he takes this seriously. You have also been saying over and over again, you are cooperating fully with this investigation. 

JEAN-PIERRE: That hasn’t changed, Mary. 

BRUCE: But given that, why did it take several searches and the FBI coming in to uncover the full extent of the documents? 

JEAN-PIERRE: I understand your question I’ve said many times, the President has said many times he takes this very seriously. You've heard directly from him. You just said that his team is cooperating fully. And I just want to add, you heard from his team that the FBI was invited into the President's home. I’m not going to go beyond that that was in the statement that was released on Saturday. Again, these are questions that have been answered from here that have been answered from my colleagues. Anything else my colleagues going to speak to all of you in just a few minutes. And you can ask more Intel on that. 

BRUCE: One more question on that you said the President did not know the documents were there. I’m not actually sure he’s said that clearly. Are you saying the President did not know—

JEAN-PIERRE: He said he was surprised. I’m just going to leave it there and I’m going to refer you to the White House counsel's office. I’m just repeating what he said.

BRUCE: You said he did not know the documents were there? 

JEAN-PIERRE: He said he was surprised that the documents were there. He said that and he takes this very seriously. That’s what I want to make sure the American people understand.  

BRUCE: You understand how the American people might question that? Given that you keep–every few days it seems we are finding more documents have been found at his house.  

[...]

NANCY CORDES: The President said last week that he has no regrets when it comes to the handling of classified documents. Why doesn’t he have regrets? Given that classified documents keep turning up? 

[...]

CORDES: Going back to what Mary was saying, the President says he takes classified material and the handling of it very seriously. This weekend top Senate Democrats who have known him for decades described this situation as unacceptable and completely irresponsible. What’s the disconnect here? 

JEAN-PIERRE: They also said, I may add that the President is handling this in an appropriate fashion. That the President and his team have been completely complying completely with the investigation they also said that. And so I will leave it up to their comments up to them. I’m not gonna go beyond what they have said but they also said that piece too and I think it is important to note that they believe that the President has handled this properly as well. 

[...]

ANDREW RESTUCCIA (WALL STREET JOURNAL): Just really quick, I know you can’t say much about the Chief of Staff but can you say whether any women or people of color were considered for the position of Chief of Staff? 

JEAN-PIERRE: Again we don’t have an announcement. We have not made an announcement. Don’t have— 

[crosstalk]

JEAN-PIERRE: I understand. You’re asking me about a process. We haven’t made an announcement and we don’t have anything to share on that front at this time. 

[...]

PETER DOOCY: When you found out that the FBI had located even more classified materials in Wilmington, which four-letter word did you use?

JEAN-PIERRE: Oh my goodness, Peter! 

DOOCY: President Biden is still intending to run for President in 2024, right? 

JEAN-PIERRE: I’ll just repeat what the President said after the midterm election which is he intends to run. I’m going to be very careful from here, as you know because we are covered by the Hatch Act. And I’m not gonna speak further to his process.  

DOOCY: Is there a precedent for people running for President after FBI agents search their sock drawer?

JEAN-PIERRE: Say that one more time? Say that beginning part.

DOOCY: Is there a precedent for people running for President after FBI agents— 

JEAN-PIERRE: It sounds like you already know the answer to that question.

DOOCY: I don't know the answer to that question. An FBI search of a President’s residence is a big, big deal.  

[...]

PHILIP WEGMANN: When you & the White House & the President all say that the President takes these classified documents very seriously. Without commenting on the ongoing legal issue. What would you point us to that would demonstrate that seriousness?

JEAN-PIERRE: I’m going to really refer you to the White House counsel’s office. I am—

[crosstalk]

WEGMANN: You can’t tell us how? The President continues to say he takes this seriously and you can’t demonstrate how he takes it seriously? 

JEAN-PIERRE: Let me just finish my answer. I’m going to refer you to the White House counsel’s office. And I’m going to refer you to the statements that you’ve received from his personal lawyer. I’m going to refer you to the forty-five minutes of conversation of back and forth my colleague has had with all of you last week. He’s about to do another one where you can ask questions about this particular legal matter. Again that’s where this belongs. That’s where I’m going to refer you to. But again, you’ve seen the statements, you’ve heard from the President a couple of times. You’ve heard from his personal lawyer, you’ve heard from the White House counsel’s office, and that’s where I’m going to leave it.