A ‘speech mishap’ by White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has reignited questions about her ability to answer questions not specifically scripted for her.
During a recent press briefing, Jean-Pierre botched a response to a reporter’s question by reading the wrong answer from her notes.
The Washington Examiner explained:
During the briefing on Monday, a reporter asked the press secretary about Sen. Jeanne Shaheen’s (D-NH) frustration with President Joe Biden supporting the recent move by Democrats to make South Carolina the first state in the Democratic presidential primary process. The move would put it ahead of New Hampshire in the primary process, which Shaheen believes makes her state “vulnerable for her party.”
According to footage Townhall posted on Wednesday, when the reporter asked if the president had a response to the senator’s concerns, Jean-Pierre replied: “So, look, we honor the Hatch Act, as I mentioned many times before here, as we are talking about a potential election, a 2024 presidential election,” she said. “But, looking backward, it is the ultimate irony, you know, that the 2020 election was proven by the Trump administration’s Homeland…”
Jean-Pierre then noticed she had been reading the wrong answer, laughing after saying she “got ahead of myself there.” She then flipped a page on her desk and proceeded to re-answer the question.
The decision to make South Carolina the first state for the Democrats’ presidential primary process was made on Friday and will now have to be approved by the Democratic National Committee to take effect. Biden praised the decision ahead of the vote, and said that he was “committed to working with the DNC to get this done.”
WATCH:
The “mishap” led some to revisit criticisms of Jean-Pierre staying glued to her script as she deals with reporters.
Real Clear Politics noted:
FOX News contributor Joe Concha criticizes White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre: “There has never been and I understand she’s new. But there has never been a more unsteady, unconfident, unprepared press secretary quite like Karine Jean-Pierre. She couldn’t be the spokesperson for Mayor Quimby or Mayor Goodway. She continues to read most of her answers from a binder during the press briefings. Not just like looking down at notes. We’re talking about whole paragraphs. [Former Pentagon press secretary] John Kirby should be in that position. He’s probably the most competent, articulate person within the administration, but Karine Jean-Pierre was chosen for other reasons.”
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