White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre abruptly left a briefing on Monday after clashing — again — with Fox News senior correspondent Peter Doocy over what does and does not count as “misinformation.”
Doocy challenged Jean-Pierre on Vice President Kamala Harris’ weekend announcement of over $150 million in aid to Lebanon, pointing out that American citizens in the southeastern United States had not yet fully grasped the extent of the damage caused by Hurricane Helene. He highlighted that the Biden-Harris administration had previously stated that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) did not have enough funding to last through the rest of hurricane season, the Daily Wire noted.
Doocy referenced President Joe Biden’s frequent assertion that people’s values are reflected in their budgets and argued that Americans might draw certain conclusions about the values of the Biden-Harris administration based on the allocation of funds.
“President Biden is fond of saying, ‘Show me your budget, and I will tell you what you value.’ If he’s got money for people in Lebanon right now without Congress having to come back, what does it say about his values [if] there’s not enough money right now for people in North Carolina who need it?” Doocy asked.
“His values?” Jean-Pierre asked.
“That’s not misinformation,” Doocy said.
No, it is,” Jean-Pierre interjected. “Your whole premise of the question is misinformation, Sir!”
“Excuse me?” Doocy asked, puzzled?
“What you don’t — yes, yes, it’s misinformation! I just mentioned $200 million to folks who are impacted in the area. And I just shared with you that people are deciding not to —” Jean-Pierre pivoted, going on to suggest that the real problem was Republicans who were claiming that FEMA under Biden-Harris was not doing enough to help, which then caused people who might need help to not ask for it.
Doocy recounted Biden’s letter to Congress, requesting additional funding for FEMA, which was running short on funds.
“The president’s letter is not misinformation. Would you agree?” Doocy pressed.
No, the way you’re asking me the question is misinformation. There is money that we are allocating to the impacted areas. And there’s money there to help people who truly need it. There are survivors who need the funding, who need the funding, and it’s there,” Jean-Pierre claimed.
But Doocy pounced: “You can’t call a question that you don’t like ‘misinformation.’”
“I actually said we have the money available to help survivors of Hurricane Helene and also Hurricane Milton. Now, there’s going to be a shortfall, right? Because we don’t know how bad Hurricane Milton is going to be. And so, we’re going to need additional funding,” she said again.
“That’s exactly what I just asked about, and you said it was misinformation,” Doocy responded.
“What you’re asking me is why Congress needs to come back and do their job. That’s what you’re asking me. Congress needs to come back and do their job and provide extra assistance, extra funding to disaster relief fund,” Jean-Pierre said, as she began packing up her binder. “That’s what Congress needs to do, and we’re gonna continue to urge that. You may not want that, but that’s ok. That’s what this president wants, and that’s what the vice president wants.”
Following that, Jean-Pierre turned and left the briefing room.
WATCH:
Meanwhile, according to ABC News, Jean-Pierre has been elevated to senior adviser to the president.
Jeff Zients, the president’s chief of staff, stated, “Karine has been a trusted advisor to the President and all of us here at the White House since day one. Her counsel will be critical to getting as much done as possible for the American people in the coming months.”
ABC News reported: “Jean-Pierre will now be alongside the ranks of the president’s top confidantes, like senior advisers Mike Donilon, Steve Richett,, and Bruce Reed. A White House official said that her promotion shows the faith that Biden has in her, as well as his commitment to having diverse and inter-generational voices guiding him in his decisions.
