Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy cornered Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre during Tuesday’s briefing, asking why her previous tweets denying the results of elections did not constitute “extremism” as defined by President Joe Biden.
Doocy referred to Biden’s recent comments — arguing that “extremists” within the MAGA wing of the Republican Party were the ones who denied that he won the 2020 presidential election — and he pointed out Jean-Pierre’s own prior claims that former President Donald Trump had “stolen” the 2016 election from former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and that Republican Georgia Governor Brian Kemp had “stolen” the election from Democrat Stacey Abrams.
WATCH:
Doocy: "You tweeted in 2016…Trump stole an election. You tweeted Brian Kemp stole an election. If denying election results is extreme now, why wasn't it then?"
KJP: "So, let's be really clear. That comparison that you made is just ridiculous."
Doocy: "How is that ridiculous?" pic.twitter.com/JDTO1HMO8W
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) September 6, 2022
“A follow up about the MAGA Republican attention. So, if we’re all in agreement that it is incorrect to say the 2020 election was stolen, what about the 2016 election?” Doocy began.
Jean-Pierre deflected at first, saying that she was not going to “go back to where we were” and that the Biden administration was choosing instead to remain focused on what was going on in the moment.
“But just in trying to understand the new attention on the MAGA Republicans, you tweeted in 2016 —” Doocy pushed back, prompting an interruption from Jean-Pierre.
“Oh, I knew this was coming,” she said. “I was waiting, Peter, when you were going to ask me that question.”
“Here we go,” Doocy responded with a smile. “You tweeted Trump stole an election. You tweeted Brian Kemp stole an election. If denying election results is extreme now, why wasn’t it then?”
“So, let’s be really clear. That comparison that you made is just ridiculous,” Jean-Pierre insisted.
“How is that ridiculous?” Doocy shot back.
“I have been — you’re asking me a question, let me — let me answer it.”
“And you said it was ‘ridiculous,’” Doocy continued.
WATCH:
KJP defends questioning the 2016 & 2018 elections, telling Doocy she didn't storm the Capitol like on January 6 where "people died…Law enforcement were attacked…That's what [Biden] has called out…When you have MAGA Republicans…who…deny…[he's] going to call that out." pic.twitter.com/U90mqNCXbS
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) September 6, 2022
“I was talking specifically at the time of what was happening with voting rights, and what was in danger of voting rights,” Jean-Pierre insisted, apparently referencing the voter integrity measures passed in Georgia. Despite the measures getting heavy criticism from the Left, Georgia has had higher turnout in the elections since their passage.
Jean-Pierre went on to say that in the months since, she had clearly stated that Trump won in 2016 and that Kemp had also won his election in Georgia — and then she pivoted to invoke January 6, arguing that the MAGA Republicans were being called out because of that.