White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre couldn’t stand the heat — and got away from the cameras.
During a tense exchange at Monday’s White House briefing, Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy asked a question that contrasted the Biden-Harris administration’s publicly announced aid to civilians in Lebanon displaced by fighting versus Americans hit hard by Hurricane Helene in Southeastern states.
And he touched a nerve so sensitive Jean-Pierre abruptly stalked from the podium.
The video is below:
For a little background, Doocy was asking about aid to Lebanon — announced in a post Vice President Kamala Harris published Saturday on the social media platform X.
“I am concerned about the security and well-being of civilians suffering in Lebanon and will continue working to help meet the needs of all civilians there,” Harris wrote.
That came a day after President Joe Biden wrote a letter to the leaders of the House and Senate asking Congress to approve funding to help the victims of Hurricane Helene.
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“On this issue of funding,” Doocy said. “The administration has money to send to Lebanon without Congress coming back, but Congress does have to come back to approve money to send to people in North Carolina. Do I have that right?”
KJP, who has been stung by Doocy’s questions in the past, was clearly discomfited. As the White House transcript shows, she rattled off numbers of dollars already spent in the hurricane zone before tacitly accusing Doocy of spreading “disinformation, misinformation.”
Then she made it explicit:
“Your whole premise of the question is misinformation, sir,” she said.
In a post on X, conservative commentator Bill Mitchell called the exchange “unreal.”
UNREAL: Doocy grills KJP on why the Biden/Harris admin can rush funds to Lebanon without Congress, but can’t do the same for NC disaster relief. KJP calls it “misinformation,” then storms out after a heated exchange. What’s going on here?!pic.twitter.com/88BzgR6OI9
— Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii) October 7, 2024
But some commenters found it all too real:
How dare Peter question the regime! She was saying be quiet you peasant!!!!
— Wayne Moore (@wm98636) October 7, 2024
She is incapable of telling the truth whenever it reflects badly on this administration.
— denvlinn (@denvlinn) October 7, 2024
You know what’s going on. American Citizens in mostly Red Counties don’t take priority over illegal aliens and “Lebanon”.
— Louis Buchalter (@lepke2112) October 7, 2024
Even Jean-Pierre seemed to realize she hadn’t done herself any favors — nor had she helped her boss, nor had she helped the Harris presidential campaign.
She and Doocy sparred a little further — ” You can’t call a question that you don’t like “misinformation,” he said at one point.
Then she called it quits and headed for the door.
“Thanks, everybody,” she said.
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