Reporters from both Newsmax and NPR confronted White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre with her own erroneous statements during Tuesday’s briefing, asking her whether she was “sorry” for making such statements and whether she worried they would damage her credibility.
Newsmax White House correspondent James Rosen set the scene, explaining that Jean-Pierre had been forced that day to correct statements she made last Friday, ahead of the holiday weekend.
What she had initially said was that a thorough search had been completed and that all classified documents in President Joe Biden’s possession — whether at the Penn Biden Center or his Wilmington, Delaware, home and garage — had been properly accounted for and disclosed. But that turned out not to be the case when additional documents were discovered to be in the president’s possession on Saturday.
WATCH:
Press Sec. Karine Jean-Pierre walked out after NEWSMAX Chief WH Correspondent James Rosen pointed out "at least six times" she claimed that all Biden classified documents were accounted for – which "turned out to be false."https://t.co/N1YhvPaNxB pic.twitter.com/NDpESPsjot
— NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) January 17, 2023
“Do you feel badly that you gave out false information?” Rosen asked during the briefing, but received no answer.
NPR White House correspondent Tamara Keith asked a similar question when Jean-Pierre called on her, wondering whether the new and contradictory information would undermine her credibility as White House press secretary.
“Are you upset that you came out to this podium on Friday with incomplete and inaccurate information? And are you concerned that it affects your credibility up here?” Keith asked.
“Well, what I’m — what I’m concerned about is making sure that we do not politically interfere in the Department of Justice, that we continue to be consistent over the last two years, and — and that is — continue to refer you all, when it comes to an ongoing process,” Jean-Pierre replied, reminding Keith that she had been speaking from the statement given by the White House counsel, which had indicated that all documents had been disclosed.
Rosen tried again at the end of the briefing, shouting, “You told us something six times that turned out to be false. Are you sorry about that?”
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Jean-Pierre said, ignoring Rosen’s question and closing her binder before she walked to the door to exit the briefing room. “Come talk to me. I’ll see you tomorrow.”