We’ve written dozens and dozens of stories about White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre because she’s irritable, evades any questions she doesn’t like, and is just generally incompetent at her job. Few besides Fox News’ Peter Doocy and Today News Africa's Simon Ateba ever call it out; most of the other WH press corps sheep just go along with it.
But on Wednesday, it all seemed to be too much for NY Post writer Steven Nelson, who called out KJP for refusing to answer his questions—since May. Transparency be damned, evidently.
After she looked past him yet again and searched for a friendlier reporter who could throw her softballs, Nelson spoke up: "You haven't called on me in two seasons, Karine."
"And I’m not calling on you today," Jean-Pierre snapped. Then, with a smirk on her face, she tried to ignore Nelson's protestations as she kept repeating, "Go ahead, go ahead" to another reporter.
Watch:
The @NYPost is our country's oldest daily newspaper. We have 4th-largest print circulation and only NY Times has more web traffic@PressSec last called on me in May, and on a colleague in July. The May exchange was also about press freedom issues: https://t.co/lNhoE8KSfD https://t.co/4FdRDZvlQ3
— Steven Nelson (@stevennelson10) October 11, 2023
Nelson pointed out in his tweet that he was hardly representing a two-page county newspaper, he was there as the face of the oldest daily paper in our country.
"The @NYPost is our country's oldest daily newspaper. We have 4th-largest print circulation and only NY Times has more web traffic @PressSec last called on me in May, and on a colleague in July. The May exchange was also about press freedom issues," Nelson wrote, linking to an article regarding the Biden administration’s pre-screening process for reporters at exclusive events.
But he wasn't done lambasting Jean-Pierre just yet at the press conference, telling her:
You should be ashamed of that. That shows disrespect to a free and independent media, to blacklist one of our country's largest and most widely read newspapers, Karine. That shows contempt for a free and independent press.
"I'm calling on somebody who I haven't called on for a long time as well. Go ahead," Jean-Pierre responded before taking a different question.
This isn't the first time Nelson has gotten under the White House's skin. In June, President Biden snapped at him for daring to ask about the Biden Crime Family's Ukraine ties:
Nelson: “Why did the Ukraine FBI informant file refer to you as the Big Buy?”
Biden: “Why’d you ask such a dumb question?”
But Jean-Pierre is in a class by herself and treats reporters with as much or even more contempt than the Big Guy does. There are so many examples to choose from, but here are just a few:
WATCH: Karine Jean-Pierre Flips out When Faced Down by Peter Doocy Over the Border Crisis
Karine Jean-Pierre Swiftly Flees Presser When Asked About Hunter Biden's Business Partners
Karine Jean-Pierre Gets Snippy When Asked About Claims That Biden Is Treated Like a ‘Baby’
In theory, the office of the press secretary was created to make the president more transparent and accountable to the public and to answer the questions of the American people. More often than not, however, KJP will either rudely shut down a reporter whose question annoys her or she will say something along the lines of, "No idea, go ask the DOJ (or Hunter's lawyers, or the IRS, or anyone else she can think of)."
At this point, the position of press secretary is almost useless as a source of actual news and information because, with KJP at the helm, the job seems to mostly consist of deflecting and ignoring.
See also-->
Defending the Indefensible: A History of Presidential Press Secretaries
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