KJP Talks Over Fox News Reporter as He Asks Question: 'No, I'm Going to Keep Going!'
The White House’s ostrich-like attitude of burying its head in the sand when it comes to any question that shows the administration in a bad light — which is most of the time — was on full display again on Tuesday, as White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre deliberately talked over a Fox News reporter to avoid answering his questions.
During a media briefing, Fox News correspondent Mark Meredith asked Jean-Pierre if the White House had thought about having Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser “back over here just to talk about crime in general.”
To most Americans, it might seem like an innocuous question. But the press secretary didn’t take it well.
Watch the video below:
The question was extremely relevant considering the fact that on Monday, as Washington’s WTTG-TV reported, Bowser declared a public emergency in response to the opioid crisis and rising youth violence in the city. The emergency order will be in effect for the next 15 days.
D.C. is facing a youth crime crisis. According to WTTG, as of Monday, juveniles accounted for a staggering 66 percent of carjacking arrests, with over 860 carjackings reported so far this year.
The mayor’s emergency declaration stated that 97 juveniles were shot, 15 of them fatally. In just the past five weeks, five juveniles on court-ordered electronic monitoring have been killed, the declaration stated.
Mayor Bowser declares public emergency for DC amid juvenile crime crisis, opioid epidemic https://t.co/Zy8P9aiHpL
— Susanna (@KolnerCVS) November 15, 2023
Jean Pierre responded to Meredith’s question about Biden having a conversation with the mayor with a meandering non-answer.
She vaguely touted the president being in touch with mayors nationwide, then immediately pivoted to blame Republicans for not being “serious on this.”
Her rambling continued with references to billions of dollars Biden put into the “American Rescue Plan” and his “Safer America Plan.” But if those measures were so effective, why is D.C. now declaring a public emergency over its juvenile crime wave?
When Meredith attempted to ask another question on the American Rescue Plan, Jean-Pierre refused to engage.
The conversation went something like this, according to a White House transcript:
Meredith: I’m sorry. But one follow-up —
Jean Pierre: I’m going to keep going. I’m going to keep going. I’m going to keep going.
Meredith: — real quick.
Jean Pierre: No, I’m going to keep going. [To another reporter] Go ahead.
Meredith: But you mentioned — you say it’s the —
Jean Pierre: [To another reporter] Go ahead.
Meredith: — American Rescue Plan — is working —
Jean Pierre: [To another reporter] Go ahead.
Meredith: — but if the money is not —
Jean Pierre: I’m just going to —
Meredith: — but if the money is there —
Jean Pierre: I’m just going to keep —
Meredith: — but what’s changing?
Jean Pierre: [To another reporter] Go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead.
A White House press secretary refusing to answer tough questions like a petulant child does the American public no favors.
Jean-Pierre seemed completely unwilling to elaborate on the administration’s crime prevention plans or engage in a substantive back-and-forth with a journalist who was simply trying to do his job.
If the administration’s policies are working as advertised, Jean Pierre should be able to explain how — so the rest of the country can understand it.
If not, the least she can do is her job — which is to level with the American people about it.
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