Tuesday marked the only scheduled White House press briefing of the week ahead of President Biden’s European trip to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day, so plenty of anti-Israel questions flew in the wake of a deadly strike inside Rafa (including this from CBS’s Ed O’Keefe). Unfortunately, O’Keefe and Fox’s Peter Doocy were the only reporters in the nearly 25 minutes (24:43) of Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre taking questions to invoke the upcoming Hunter Biden trial.
O’Keefe went first after he had Jean-Pierre confirm Tuesday was the only formal briefing: “[G]iven something that’s scheduled to begin on Monday, I’m curious, how does the President plan to monitor the federal trial of his son, which is set to begin on Monday?”
Jean-Pierre stumbled her way through in refusing to say whether the President will be monitoring the proceedings:
Look, I — I don’t have any — obviously — anything specific to share about that. I’m always very mindful — uh — on speaking to that, I will say what I have said many times before the President and the First Lady — they love their son. They are proud of how their son has been able to get back on his feet and continue — um — uh — his progress and they will — uh — continue to support him outside of that. I don’t have anything to share.
O’Keefe followed up with the next obvious question, which was whether Joe will “try to attend” any of it “in person.”
Jean-Pierre reiterated she had nothing “to share” other than Biden would soon be busy on this “incredibly important foreign policy travel where we are going to, obviously, be in France for the anniversary of D-Day, so the President looks forward to doing that, to being in France” and attend a state dinner.
A few minutes later Doocy drilled down on the trial with a curious visit the President made over the weekend: “[W]hy did President Biden have a private meeting with a witness who plans to testify in court against his son?”
Asked to “say more”, Doocy replied he brought this up because “Hallie Biden is a key government witness who allegedly disposed of a gun that Hunter is accused of buying illegally” and “President Biden was at her house this week.”
Jean-Pierre feigned outrage at Doocy’s supposed insensitivity because this visit was only to mark the ninth anniversary of the President’s son Beau’s passing and Hallie is Beau’s widow (who also, for a time, was in a weird romantic fling with Hunter) (click “expand”):
JEAN-PIERRE: I think the American people should also be told the full breadth of this — not just a part of this question here — uh — as you all know — uh — the President actually spoke to this yesterday during his Memorial — I think impactful, powerful Memorial Day address where he talked about — he talked about the passing the anniversary — the ninth anniversary of the passing of his son, and he visited her — as that anniversary is approaching. He visited her a days before the anniversary of the passing of his son and — uh — she is family. She was married, obviously, to his late son. Ah — and I think that is something also to mention as you’re asking your question to me.
DOOCY: So — so, they did not talk about her testimony.
JEAN-PIERRE: This was not about that. This was about literally — the ninth anniversary of the passing of his son —
DOOCY: One more.
JEAN-PIERRE: — that is upcoming — in days, Peter.
Doocy stuck to the issue of Hunter Biden by mentioning the fact that former stripper and Hunter Biden ex-girlfriend Lunden Roberts will be releasing a book about her time with the now-First Family and her daughter Navy Joan Roberts, whom the President spent years denying she existed.
In turn, Doocy wondered whether the President has even Navy Joan, but Jean-Pierre ducked: “I don’t have anything to share.”
Prior to the Hunter questions, Doocy first had a blunt query: “Are you guys here at the White House in full-blown freak out mode?”
“What are you talking about? What are you talking about,” a flustered Jean-Pierre replied, to which Doocy explained was merely him quoting a Politico story about Biden’s bad polling causing a Democrat Party “freak out”
At the other end of the question spectrum, theGrio’s Gerren Keith Gaynor and Bloomberg Government’s Courtney Rozen had questions from the left on Vice President Kamala Harris and undermining the Supreme Court’s legitimacy (as the Court remains out of the far-left’s control) (click “expand”):
GAYNOR: A recent Bloomberg/Morning Consult poll found an increased number of Americans in battleground states trust the vice president to fulfill the duties of the presidency. I know you can’t comment on election related topics, but this — this poll does suggest that the VP’s travels to battleground states have been resonating with Americans. Given that increased trust in her leadership, what is the White House’s view of the vice president’s travels to battleground states, particularly her economic opportunity tour where she’s been selling — the administration’s policies to black and brown communities in particular? Does the White House believe that they have been effective on the ground?
(....)
GAYNOR: Legal experts say that the Supreme Court’s ruling last week that blocked a second black majority District in South Carolina can make it harder for it to prove claims of racial gerrymandering — I mean — will have long lasting implications for black voters. While the President, in his statement last week, reacting to this ruling, called for the passing of the John Lewis Act and the Freedom to Vote Act, given the makeup of this Court and other controversial rulings that this President has condemned, does the President have faith in this court? Does he have faith in the court? And would he consider publicly supporting what some Democrats are calling for, which is reform of the Supreme Court, whether that be expansion of membership or term limits?
(....)
ROZEN: The New York Times reported over the last few weeks that a flat — that two different flags associated with the January attack on the Capitol flew outside Justice Alito’s home — two different homes. The President — does the President believe that Justice Alito should recuse himself from any cases related to January 6 or otherwise take any ethical actions related to this reporting?
Separately, Fox News Radio’s Jared Halpern had an interesting exchange earlier with national security spokesman and frequent Jean-Pierre crutch John Kirby about the expensive but failing pier in Gaza constructed by the U.S. military:
.@FoxNewsRadio's @JaredHalpern: “Can you say whether or not — uh — in the — uh — the setbacks of the — the temporary pier, is the US gonna increase airdrops for aid? Is there a way — a mechanism to kind of make up for — for what's not getting in the Gaza because of the pier being… pic.twitter.com/96W1tQEURb
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) May 28, 2024
To see the relevant transcript from the May 28 briefing, click here.
