(PatrioticPost.com)- During last Wednesday’s White House press briefing, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre got into a heated exchange with CBS News White House correspondent Ed O’Keefe over why the White House didn’t reveal before the midterms that classified documents were found at the Penn Biden Center in Washington.
O’Keefe pressed Jean-Pierre on whether she knew of any earlier conversations in the White House about the documents, noting that the ones found at the Penn Biden Center in Washington were discovered before the November midterm elections but only made public last week.
A defensive Jean-Pierre feigned understanding for why the reporters “have a lot of questions on this.” But she reiterated that she would not “go beyond what the president laid out” or what the White House counsel has said.
O’Keefe shot back that Jean-Pierre may not want to answer questions, but the reporters are going to ask them “because that’s our job.”
The press secretary argued that it is her job to answer questions.
O’Keefe cited the president’s earlier comments that when he made mistakes, he would need the help of the press to help him correct the mistakes. He told Jean-Pierre that since she’s the one in the briefing room, reporters are going to ask her.
Unfamiliar with this type of push-back, Jean-Pierre told O’Keefe, “We don’t need to have this kind of confrontation.” She told him to ask his question, “and I will answer them the best I can.”
O’Keefe explained that the reason White House reporters are laying out that their part in a press briefing is to ask questions is because she was laying out that part of her job is answering questions.
Jean-Pierre snapped back that she understood his point, but added, “I’m just saying we don’t need to have contention. You don’t need to be contentious with me here, Ed.”
O’Keefe asked Jean-Pierre if the White House not disclosing the discovery at the Penn Biden Center had “anything to do with the fact that the election was just a few days away.”
Jean-Pierre deflected, saying the matter was being investigated by the Justice Department.
O’Keefe dismissed her response, saying nothing was stopping Biden from disclosing it at the time, “so why didn’t he disclose it?”
Jean-Pierre said the president was “surprised” by the discovery and was taking it “seriously.”
https://twitter.com/CBSNews/status/1613265904883605533
