On Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre held the first press briefing since Sunday's assassination attempt against former and potentially future President Donald Trump on Sunday. While she began the briefing with lengthy remarks on unrelated topics, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre did not speak about the assassination attempt until she was asked about it.
During a back-and-forth with ABC News' Selina Wang, Jean-Pierre claimed that she wanted "to be very clear here" as she insisted that "the president and the vice president have always forcefully--forcefully condemned violence in all forms, including political violence," adding "and we certainly have never encouraged any violence in any way." Jean-Pierre even claimed that "if anything, this is a president and a vice president that has been pretty forceful about that."
This is despite how President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and plenty of countless other Democrats have referred to Trump as a "threat to democracy." The Trump-Vance campaign on Monday also sent out an exhaustive list of how rhetoric from Democrats and the mainstream media inspired the suspected would-be assassin. An ad was also released showing examples of inflammatory rhetoric. Biden and Harris are featured in both the list and in the ad.
Jean-Pierre went for more tone deaf remarks, as she reminded that "the president has also said, when it comes to, you know, violent rhetoric, we got to bring the temperature down." While he said so when addressing the nation on July 14, following the first attempt on Trump's life on July 13, that doesn't look to have put a stop to the inflammatory rhetoric.
"It is not the time to tear Americans apart--we cannot do that--or divide our country. The president and the vice president is always going to call that out, but they have been very clear, very forceful on condemning any form of political violence," Jean-Pierre insisted.
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As Wang asked about Trump's rhetoric, Jean-Pierre went on to remind why Biden ran for president in 2020, which was based on falsely categorizing Trump's words about the 2017 Charlottesville Unite the Right Rally.
"Let's not forget why he decided to run in 2020 was about that, was about making sure that we bring the country together, that we bring people together, and it was not about dividing," Jean-Pierre offered, despite how the Biden-Harris administration has been particularly divisive. "And so, we’re going to continue to be very, very clear about that. We’re going to continue to call that out."
Jean-Pierre brought up examples of January 6 as well as the attack on Paul Pelosi and the July 13 assassination attempt to claim Biden is "very consistent."
When Wang asked again about Trump's rhetoric, Jean-Pierre claimed Trump represents a threat. "President Biden has been clear-eyed about the threat that the former president represents to our democracy," she claimed, as she again brought up January 6.
"And so, it’s not going to stop the president and the vice president to call out--to continue to strongly call out. You know, when it comes to protecting our democracy, we have to be forceful about that. We have to be very clear," she continued.
Karine Jean-Pierre: Biden and Harris "have always forcefully condemned violence in all forms, including political violence, and we certainly have never encouraged any violence in any way"...but don’t forget Trump is still a threat to democracy! pic.twitter.com/B1t00TRFWY
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) September 17, 2024
Later in the briefing, Jean-Pierre was asked by Fox News' Peter Doocy about her language referring to Trump as a threat, a question she did not take too kindly to.
"It’s been only two days since somebody allegedly tried to kill Donald Trump again, and you’re here at the podium in the White House Briefing Room calling him a 'threat,'" Doocy pointed out. "How many more assassination attempts on Donald Trump until the president and the vice president and you pick a different word to describe Trump other than 'threat?'"
"If anything from this administration, I actually completely disagree with the premise of your question," Jean-Pierre said, as she also lectured Doocy by claiming that "the question that you’re asking, it is also incredibly dangerous in the way that you’re asking it, because American people are watching."
Besides the lecture, Jean-Pierre again took the opportunity to sing the supposed praises of the Biden-Harris administration, claiming that this is "from a administration who has consistently condemned political violence."
"And now for you to make that kind of comment in your question--because it--your question involved a comment and a statement--and, you know, it is--that is also incredibly dangerous when we have been very clear in--in condemning political violence from here," Jean-Pierre continued.
Not only did Jean-Pierre bring up January 6 yet again, but she did so to repeat a lie about the death of police officers and about Trump. "There were people who--law enforcement officers who died because of what happened at the Capitol. And they were there because the former president told them to go there," the press secretary claimed, despite how the medical examiner revealed that Officer Brian Sicknick died from natural causes after suffering two strokes. Further, Trump had emphasized over social media for people to be "peaceful"
Still, Jean-Pierre used the narrative of January 6 to double down on calling threat a Trump. "I mean, I don’t know if that’s not--if that’s not a threat on our democracy when it was one of the darkest days of our democracy," Jean-Pierre added.
As the exchange continued, with Jean-Pierre and Doocy speaking over one another, Jean-Pierre repeated her talking points, which at one point involved saying "January 6th" repeatedly.
Jean-Pierre also took the chance to once more repeat her narratives, including the debunked ones:
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We’re using examples. We’re not just saying that just to say it. January 6th, Peter. January 6th.
Wait — January 6th — how many times do I have to — January 6th, 2021. That is a — that is a fact, what was reported that happened on that day by some of your colleagues.
I mean — and we have, at the same time, denounced political violence over and over — political rhetoric over and over again — over and over again.But I know your focus has to be on this side of the house. It can’t be on your side of the house. I get that. I get that. But we also have to be careful on how you’re asking me these questions.
People are watching. And is — what you are saying about us raising political violent rhetoric, whatever — however you just formulated it is — this is an administration that has denounced and condemned any type of political rhetoric or violence.
It is the reason why this president decided to run in 2020. That is why the president decided to come back. He believed that it is important to save the soul of America, of our nation. And he believed it was important that we f- — continue to fight for our democracy, fight for our freedom. That’s what you see from this administration.
Jean-Pierre then moved on to take another question.
Doocy: “But, to your point, there are people watching at home who might miss the part where you say, let's lower the temperature, and they're just – there are mentally unstable people who are attempting to kill political candidates, attempting to kill Donald Trump and they are… pic.twitter.com/ZARoWLGRHa
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) September 17, 2024
The response and tone from Jean-Pierre are nothing new when it comes to the assassination attempts against Trump.
In July, in response to questions during the White House briefing following the first attempt on Trump's life, Jean-Pierre was similarly testy with reporters. While she emphasized a narrative "lower the temperature," she also communicated not to expect any changes.
REPORTER: Just last week Biden called Trump a "threat to this nation." Can we expect Biden to stop using that kind of rhetoric going forward?
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 15, 2024
KJP: Don’t expect any changes. pic.twitter.com/W3PEVmwHXO
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