White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre received backlash from mainstream media outlets for not admitting Biden made a mistake by looking for deceased congresswoman Jackie Walorski at an event.
Media Grilled WH Press Secretary on Defending Biden’s Gaffe
During a White House conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, Biden was appreciating bipartisan lawmakers.
He asked whether Rep. Jackie Walorski was present in the crowd or not, adding she was supposed to attend the event. Walorski perished in a car crash last month, alongside her two staff members.
"Jackie are you here? Where's Jackie?"
Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-IN) died in a car accident in August pic.twitter.com/cHc3b7zPmE
— Charlie Spiering (@charliespiering) September 28, 2022
However, Jean-Pierre refused to admit Biden was looking for the deceased congresswoman. According to the press secretary, Biden will meet Walorski’s family on Friday. The congresswoman was also present in Biden’s mind, which urged him to mention her name.
Though White House reporters refused to agree with Jean-Pierre’s explanation.
CNN White House correspondent Phil Mattingly asked the press secretary, even if the president would meet Walorski’s family, why did he specifically name the congresswoman and try to find her in the crowd?
However, Jean-Pierre still insisted the congresswoman was present in Biden’s mind just because he would meet her family on Friday.
In her press briefing, Jean-Pierre faced ten questions about Biden’s gaffe of calling Walorski, while she said 14 times the deceased congresswoman was just on the top of the mind of the president.
CBS White House correspondent Steven Portnoy also asked Jean-Pierre whether Biden was confused during his speech or if he failed to read what was written on the teleprompter. However, Jean-Pierre asked Portnoy to stop jumping to any conclusions.
Karine Jean-Pierre fails miserably at gaslighting Americans after Biden calls Congresswoman Jackie Walorski, who just died in a tragic car crash, on stage:
“She was on top of his mind.”
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) September 28, 2022
Biden’s Gaffe Embarrassed His Press Team
After the back-and-forth comments from Jean-Pierre and White House journalists, many reporters also slammed the White House press secretary on Twitter.
Huffington Post WH correspondent SV Date noted Jean-Pierre failed to explain what the problem with Biden was when he was looking for the deceased congresswoman in the audience.
Similarly, MSNBC journalist, Sam Stein, noted the White House would never admit the president made a blunder in his speech.
In addition to that, the Daily Beast reporter, Justin Baragona, claimed Jean-Pierre could have easily avoided the embarrassment by starting her press briefing with the confession that Biden made a mistake.
Instead, she preferred to defend the president, who has a history of making gaffes, Baragona added.
Furthermore, Politico WH correspondent Christopher Cadelago asserted Biden’s press team failed to maintain its own promise that it will always stick to facts and not spin events in their favor.
Biden’s latest gaffe came at a time when Republican lawmakers have repeatedly suggested he is unable to serve as the president, amid his deteriorating mental health.
Earlier this year, Republican Senator Roger Marshall, who is also a physician, noted Biden should undergo cognitive testing since his mental strength is deteriorating at a rapid pace.
This article appeared in TheDailyBeat and has been published here with permission.
