Minutes after White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki gave the Biden administration’s blessing Thursday for progressives to stage protests outside the homes of Supreme Court justices, NPR White House reporter Franco Ordoñez sucked up to Psaki’s successor Karine Jean-Pierre, by wondering if she could share “what this means to you” and comment on both “the historic nature” of her appointment and advice for “young girls” and “minority communities.”
The reporter from the taxpayer-funded outlet first congratulated Psaki on her run, but asked if Jean-Pierre “could share some words about what this means to her...and if [she] could talk a little bit about the historic nature of” the appointment as the first black and first openly gay press secretary.
Of course, Jean-Pierre thanked him for the question before stating she had to first “thank Jen” for having been “a wonderful colleague, a friend, a mentor” in addition to being “a true, solid, amazing person.”
The former MoveOn.org spokeswoman insisted she’s “still processing it because...this is a historic moment, and it’s not lost on me” and thus “understand[s] how important it is for so many people out there, so many different communities that I stand on their shoulders[.]”
Adding it’ll be “an honor and a privilege to be behind this podium” full-time, Jean-Pierre finally brought up the President by promising to “do my best to represent this President and this First Lady the best that I can, but also the American people.”
After she summarized Thursday as “very emotional,” Ordoñez lobbed another softball: “I mean, there’s a lot of folks who questioned when this day would happen. I mean, what is your message to those? And, like, what — what is the message to — to young girls, to minority communities. Young boys, too.”
Jean-Pierre was more than happy to go on, boasting she “used to teach college students” and “would say to them — and it took me a little bit of time to figure this part out that I’m about to share with you, which is: Follow your passion. Follow what you believe in. And — and just, you know, keep that — keep that focus, because that matters.”
Warning that “you’ll be knocked down” and endure “tough times,” Jean-Pierre argued that “the rewards are amazing, especially if you stay true to yourself. And so that’s what I would tell them.”
Before giving the podium back to Psaki, one reporter chimed in with a softie of her own:
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: [B]eing a woman of color, have you ever doubt be in this position one day?
JEAN-PIERRE: No, not at all. I just worked hard towards it, but I understand how hard it is. I do. We all do, but just keep working hard towards it. I’m going to give it back to Jen. Thanks, everybody.
Later, another reporter questioned Psaki about what “your plans” are “now that you have a successor,” but Psaki refused to bite on revealing she’ll be joining MSNBC and Peacock.
Psaki maintained she had “nothing to announce...other than...to sleep, to read books” and “stream” whatever’s on Hulu and Netflix.
To see the relevant briefing transcript from May 5, click “expand.”
White House press briefing
May 5, 2022
5:41 p.m. EasternFRANCO ORDOÑEZ: Thanks, Jen. Congrats to you and thanks for your words. I wanted to ask Karine, though, if she could share some words about what this means to her — what this means to you, Karine.
JEN PSAKI: Sure.
ORDOÑEZ: And — and if you could talk a little bit about the historic nature of what you’re about to —
PSAKI: Come on up. The good news is the podium height is the same because we’re both very short. [LAUGHTER] So, go — go ahead.
JEAN-PIERRE: Wow. Thanks for your question. I first want to — want to take this opportunity, while I have it, to thank Jen. She has been just a wonderful colleague, a friend, a mentor during this past year and a half. And I don’t think I would be here without so many people, but including her and she is just — just a true, solid, amazing person and so, we were very lucky to have her here this past year and a half. So, I wanted to make sure I had the opport- — since I have the opportunity —
PSAKI: I’m going to give you another hug.
JEAN-PIERRE: — to say that. We were doing a lot of crying —
PSAKI: Yeah. [LAUGHTER]
JEAN-PIERRE: — so I’m trying not to do it now. Wow. I am still processing it because, as Jen said at the top, this is a historic moment, and it’s not lost on me. I understand how important it is for so many people out there, so many different communities that I stand on their shoulders and I have been throughout my career. And so, it is an honor and a privilege to be behind this podium in about a week or so, when Jen is ready. And that — that is something that I will honor and do my best to represent this President and this First Lady the best that I can, but also the American people. And so, it is — you know, it’s a very emotional day. That’s probably the best way that I can explain it: a very emotional day. And I just appreciate this time and this moment. And I hope that I make people proud.
ORDOÑEZ: And, Karine, I mean, there’s a lot of folks who questioned when this day would happen. I mean, what is your message to those? And, like, what — what is the message to — to young girls, to —
JEAN-PIERRE: And young boys, too.
ORDOÑEZ: — minority communities. Young boys, too.
JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah, young girls and young boys. Let’s not — you know, I think this is important for them to see this as well. You know, I used to — I used to teach college students. I had the pleasure of doing that for about six, seven years and they would ask me, you know, this — a similar question, like, “How did you get to where you got to?” And I would say to them — and it took me a little bit of time to figure this part out that I’m about to share with you, which is: Follow your passion. Follow what you believe in. And — and just, you know, keep that — keep that focus, because that matters. I think if you are passionate about what you want to be or where you want to go and you work very hard to that goal, it will happen. And, yes, you’ll be knocked down and you’ll have some tough times. And it won’t be easy all the time, but the rewards are pretty amazing, especially if you stay true to yourself. And so that’s what I would tell them. And I see them from time to time, and they always mention those words that I just shared with all of you. And so that’s what I would say. And, you know, there are people who support them, people who will lift them up when they’re down. And so, I think that’s really important to know. And, you know, I think so many of them as well — they are standing on shoulders, on folks who came before them, and are creating these opportunities that I currently have and will, you know, take that on the best as I can.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: Congratulations.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: Karine, have you ever doubt — being a woman of color, have you ever doubt be in this position one day?
JEAN-PIERRE: No, not at all. I just worked hard towards it, but I understand how hard it is. I do. We all do, but just keep working hard towards it. I’m going to give it back to Jen. Thanks, everybody.
(....)
6:00 p.m. Eastern
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Just a quickie for you. Can you tell us your plans now that you have a successor?
PSAKI: I have — I have nothing to announce on my plans other than, as I said earlier, to sleep, to read books.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Will we keep seeing you on TV?
PSAKI: If there’s anything I should stream on Netflix or wherever — Hulu, other places — I’m happy to do that. I take recommendations. So, I’m — I’m, today, obviously just celebrating Karine. And I will have a lot to say about my team, the President, Dr. Biden, all of you — I’m just kidding; it will be nice things about all of you — next week, but nothing to say or announce about what’s next.
