On Monday, Newsmax’s James Rosen brought the rhetorical curtains down on the last White House press briefing ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday (and President Biden’s departure to Nantucket) with a series of probing questions to Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre about polling with being Rosen’s thesis: “[A]re only certain polls valid in your eyes – the ones that support your agenda?”
One could tell it was going to be good from the moment Rosen thanked Jean-Pierre “as always” for calling on him and she proceeded to chuckle. He then merely got out, “I want to ask you about” before Jean-Pierre half-jokingly interjected: “I might regret it, but go ahead.”
After Rosen drew laughter for saying “I assure you, you will not,” he cut to the chase, starting with President Biden’s February interview with Telemundo in which he largely dismissed the negative polls about his job performance: “[H]e answered in words to this effect: ‘Do you know anyone that believes the polling these days?’ And he talked in some detail about the difficulty of getting people on the phone and compiling accurate polling.”
Rosen used that answer alongside his summation of what Jean-Pierre usually says when negative polls are invoked by reporters in the room, which he paraphrased as “we’re not going to look at the polls; we look at his accomplishments.”
But, when polling goes in a favorable direction on “various domestic policy initiatives,” Rosen noted to Jean-Pierre she’s quick to argue something to the effect of Americans “support what the President’s agenda is.”
Taking these mixed messages together, Rosen called her out:
So, once and for all, are only certain polls valid in your eyes — the ones that support your agenda? Or sh- — is the polling data that shows that President Biden has been stuck for two years at the low 40s in his approval ratings, are those valid?
Jean-Pierre showed her typical evasiveness by latching onto one aspect of his question, stating in part that: “I think it’s important to share that American people do approve of some of the Pres- — President’s initiatives. I think it is important.”
She talked in circled for a few moments before Rosen cut it off: “So, those polls are valid?”
Jean-Pierre then became defensive and insisted “it’s not that” before offering this mangled mess (click “expand”):
We are given — anytime I’m asked this question, given an opportunity to speak on what the Pres- — what the American people want to hear and what we’re doing, right? And so, there are moments, just like when you ask me about certain polls, that I can say, “Hey, you know what? That is something that the American people support.” But in more broad terms, in general, we’re not focused on every poll. We just are not. It is not important for us that we believe to focus on that. We’re going to continue to do the work and work on protecting Medicare, Medicaid, and making sure that Social – that Americans have their Social Security and I — and I think by saying that Americans support that, that is important for — for us to say that from here, too, because we are actually delivering for the American people. We’re actually doing what the American people want us to do. So, when I say that, that’s what I’m referring to: The work that we’re doing, what we want to deliver on, what the American people care about and it is the economy. It is lowering costs, right? I always talk about that: The President’s number one priority is to continue to lower costs and I talked about what he has done, whether it’s junk fees, whether it’s making sure that people have good-paying jobs by making sure that we’ve passed these historic legislation [sic] that’s going to create good union paying [sic] jobs. All of those things — all of those things are connected.
Rosen was even more blunt in his final question wondering if “the White House ha[s] any basis to challenge the accuracy of” polling “show[ing] that the electorate at large and also significant majorities within the Democratic Party believe that the President is too old,” “the American people and also significant majorities within the Democratic Party don’t want him to run again, and…his handling of the economy, foreign policy,” which are each “dismal” for Biden.
Despite the record showing she never answered his previous questions in full, Jean-Pierre maintained “we never challenged” polls and she’s “not” doing that “here”.
Instead, Jean-Pierre argued in almost comical fashion, “what I’m saying to you is that, you know, we’re not going to change the minds of Americans” since they “are going to feel how they feel, and we’re going to respect that.”
“What I can tell you is what our perspective is. What I can tell you is how we see things. And we believe experienced — this President having experience to get things done is important and we know that it’s going to take some time — right — for Americans to feel what we have been able to do,” she added along with the conclusion that previous Democratic Presidents faced serious headwinds but still won reelection.
To see the relevant transcript from the November 20 briefing, click “expand.”
White House press briefing [via ABC News Live subfeed]
November 20, 2023
2:26 p.m. EasternJAMES ROSEN: Thank you, as always. [JEAN-PIERRE LAUGHS] I want to ask you about —
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: I might regret it, but go ahead. [LAUGHTER]
ROSEN: I assure you, you will not. [LAUGHTER] I want to ask you about polling. In February, the President conducted an interview with, I believe, it was Telemundo and he was asked about the dismal state of his job approval ratings and he answered in words to this effect: “Do you know anyone that believes the polling these days?” And he talked in some detail about the difficulty of getting people on the phone and compiling accurate polling. Whenever you’re asked about the President’s dismal job approval ratings, you say, “We’re not going to look at polls; we look at his accomplishments.” And yet, when you are asked about various domestic policy initiatives, you will say, “These poll very well. People support what the President wants to do. If you look at the individual subjects on the polling, they support what the President’s agenda is.” So, once and for all, are only certain polls valid in your eyes — the ones that support your agenda? Or sh- — is the polling data that shows that President Biden has been stuck for two years at the low 40s in his approval ratings, are those valid?
JEAN-PIERRE: So, here’s the thing: I think it’s important to share that American people do approve of some of the Pres- — President’s initiatives. I think it is important. I think it’s an important to — for the American people to hear that when it comes to Medicare and fighting — and fighting and being able to — Medicare to be able to lower costs for the American people. I think it’s important to share that. I think it’s important to share that this — that when it comes to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, the American people care about that and want us to fight about that — fight for it, which is what the President —
ROSEN: So, those polls are valid?
JEAN-PIERRE: No, it’s not — it’s not that. It’s not that. We are given — anytime I’m asked this question, given an opportunity to speak on what the Pres- — what the American people want to hear and what we’re doing, right? And so, there are moments, just like when you ask me about certain polls, that I can say, “Hey, you know what? That is something that the American people support.” But in more broad terms, in general, we’re not focused on every poll. We just are not. It is not important for us that we believe to focus on that. We’re going to continue to do the work and work on protecting Medicare, Medicaid, and making sure that Social –that Americans have their Social Security and I — and I think by saying that Americans support that, that is important for — for us to say that from here, too, because we are actually delivering for the American people. We’re actually doing what the American people want us to do. So, when I say that, that’s what I’m referring to: The work that we’re doing, what we want to deliver on, what the American people care about and it is the economy. It is lowering costs, right? I always talk about that: The President’s number one priority is to continue to lower costs and I talked about what he has done, whether it’s junk fees, whether it’s making sure that people have good-paying jobs by making sure that we’ve passed these historic legislation [sic] that’s going to create good union paying [sic] jobs. All of those things — all of those things are connected.
ROSEN: So, the polls that show that the electorate at large and also significant majorities within the Democratic Party believe that the President is too old, the polls that show the American people and also significant majorities within the Democratic Party don’t want him to run again, and the polls that show his handling of the economy, foreign policy — all of these dismal polls — his job approval ratings: Does the White House have any basis to challenge the accuracy of that polling?
JEAN-PIERRE: I never — we never challenged. I’m not challenging the accuracy here. That’s not what I’m doing. What I’m saying to you is that, you know, we’re not going to change the minds of Americans. I get that. Americans are going to feel how they feel, and we’re going to respect that and I’ve said that many times from here — many times. I said that moments ago. What I can tell you is what our perspective is. What I can tell you is how we see things. And we believe experienced — this President having experience to get things done is important and we know that it’s going to take some time — right — for Americans to feel what we have been able to do in this administration: pushing through bipartisan legislation that is historic and as I mentioned earlier before, this is a President who has done more bipartisan legislation than any other recent President and so, that’s what I can speak to. I can speak to our perspective. I can speak to how we see this. I can speak to what is important and how we’re going to try to deliver for the American people and I will say this: You know, just a couple of just data points here — I’m going to be careful not to talk about the 20- — 2024 — any of the elections, but I could look back in history, right? I can look back and see where Obama was a year — President Obama was a year out of — of his election, where President Clinton was a year out ahead of his election, and it didn’t look like they were going to — they were going to win, right? It didn’t look like that and so, it is not unusual. You’re talking about dismal polling; it is not unusual for a President to be where they are ahead of that and so, look, the President is going to focus — this is something that I can tell you for sure: He’s going to focus on the American people. That is always, always the number one priority for this President, and that’s what you’re going to see him continue to do.
ROSEN: Thank you, Karine.
