White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has been incessantly spinning President Joe Biden's speech from last Thursday during which he attacked his political opponents. Perhaps her dumbest take yet came during Wednesday's press briefing.
Despite Biden's speech being the very definition of "divisive," Jean-Pierre claimed it wasn't. She wasn't finished there, though, as she even went on to try to imply the president was trying to be that unifier he assured us he would be on the campaign trail and during his inauguration. "He also asked for people to come together. It didn't matter if you were a Republican, or Independent, or a Democrat. He asked for folks to come together and stand against what we were seeing," Jean-Pierre offered.
So close to the upcoming November midterm elections, which are two months away from now, if Biden wants anyone to "come together," it's likely to vote Democratic.
The narrative the White House, including Biden himself, is now trying to go with, is that it's not really Republicans or even Trump voters who are the problem. As Jean-Pierre explained from the podium on Wednesday, "he talked about a minority, a small group of people, who have extreme views, and who threaten, who threaten that very, very, um, value, core value of who we are as a country."
This walk back of sorts has been happening since last Friday, less than a day after Biden gave his speech. As Katie highlighted on Tuesday, though, such an attempt really has not stuck.
Whatever favors Biden tried to do by claiming he wasn't speaking about "every Republican" was overshadowed not just by the horrific red lighting, but by the rest of Biden's speech. This included the line that "there is no question that the Republican Party today is dominated, driven, and intimidated by Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans, and that is a threat to this country."
It's not merely the president who has changed his tune, but Jean-Pierre as well. As she stated in previous press briefings, those considered to be dangerous to this country's democracy--we're a constitutional republic, by the way--we're not just people labeled as supposed insurrectionists, but those who dare to hold pro-life values, or even just not agree with the administration's position of abortion up until the moment of birth for any reason, paid for with taxpayer dollars.
One thing Jean-Pierre perhaps did get correct is that "he spoke very clearly," when it comes to how the president went after Republicans, though. It may have been the clearest he's been.