White House Press Secretary <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/karine-jean-pierre" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Karine Jean-Pierre</a> reportedly refused to let national security spokesperson John Kirby address the hostage deal at Wednesday&#8217;s press briefing because she wanted to keep the spotlight on herself.
&#8220;Zero news made in KJP’s final briefing,&#8221; said Fox News White House Correspondent Jacqui Heinrich. &#8220;She had no details on the ceasefire/hostage deal that will end 400 days of fighting, a defining element of Biden’s presidency – instead directing reporters to an NSC background call.&#8221;
&#8220;Sources familiar with the situation tell me KJP blocked John Kirby from briefing the press on the ceasefire, wanting to keep the spotlight to herself,&#8221; she added.
Alex Ward from The Wall Street Journal added to the report, posting on X: &#8220;White House press secretary Karine-Jean Pierre stopped NSC spokesman John Kirby from briefing at the podium today, during which he would have briefed on the Israel-Hamas cease-fire.&#8221;
Axios reported in October that Kirby&#8217;s appearances at the briefings had ended specifically because Jean-Pierre blocked him from appearing, despite Biden&#8217;s wishes.
&#8220;Jean-Pierre has long privately fumed about Kirby&#8217;s role,&#8221; the report said. &#8220;Having both of them at the podium was what Biden wanted, but Jean-Pierre thought that Kirby&#8217;s presence gave the impression she needed a chaperone.&#8221;
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She also complained that she was not given decision-making power over when Kirby would join a briefing, the report added.
Jean-Pierre only briefly addressed the news and tried to downplay the impact that President-elect Donald Trump had in securing it.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
During her final Press Briefing, Karine repeatedly pushed back on any attempt to credit Trump’s team for influencing the Israeli/Hamas hostage deal.
She was stunned to learn that the Biden State Department had credited the hostage deal to Trump. <a href="https://t.co/E4sFVsHaoy">pic.twitter.com/E4sFVsHaoy</a>
— Media Lies (@MediasLies) <a href="https://twitter.com/MediasLies/status/1879682137294803429?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2025</a></blockquote>

US-POLITICS-JEAN-PIERRE-BRIEFING

Details Emerge On Why Karine Jean-Pierre Kept Biden Official From Talking About Hostage Deal

Biden Administration

Executive

Hamas

Israel

John Kirby

Karine Jean-Pierre

Politics

The U.S. government has no evidence to &#8220;corroborate&#8221; the sightings of what are suspected to be large drones flying over <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-jersey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New Jersey</a> and other parts of the East Coast, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/white-house" target="_blank" rel="noopener">White House</a> National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby said on Thursday.
<a href="https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/2024/12/10/what-are-the-car-sized-drones-flying-over-new-jersey-pennsylvania/76859459007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;Car-sized&#8221;</a> drones have been seen over the past couple of weeks, unnerving residents in New Jersey and elsewhere. Some have been spotted near military sites and President-elect Donald Trump&#8217;s <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/news/new-jersey/drones-new-jersey-trump-bedminster-golf-course-fbi-20241206.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">golf club</a> in Bedminster. The FBI is investigating, but so far has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fbi-clueless-about-mystery-drones-flying-over-new-jersey-official-tells-congress" target="_blank" rel="noopener">no answers</a>.
On Wednesday, Rep. Jeff Van Drew <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-congressman-sources-claim-mystery-drones-over-new-jersey-come-from-mothership-sent-by-iran" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a> that &#8220;qualified sources&#8221; told him the drones are coming from an Iranian &#8220;mothership&#8221; off the East Coast of the U.S., although a Pentagon spokeswoman told reporters at a news conference there was &#8220;no truth&#8221; to the assertion.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/amateur-hour-gop-rep-calls-bs-on-pentagons-response-to-mystery-drones" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RELATED — ‘Amateur Hour’: GOP Rep Calls BS On Pentagon’s Response To Mystery Drones</a>
Kirby affirmed the Pentagon&#8217;s denial, declaring, &#8220;We have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or a public safety threat or have a foreign nexus.&#8221;
The Department of Homeland Security and the FBI are investigating the &#8220;sightings&#8221; and are &#8220;working closely&#8221; with state and local law enforcement to &#8220;provide resources using numerous detection methods to better understand their origin,&#8221; Kirby continued.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
John Kirby on drone activity in and around New Jersey: &quot;We have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or a public safety threat or have a foreign nexus&#8230; We have not been able to&#8230;corroborate any of the reported visual sightings.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/xfxFaJQUaN">pic.twitter.com/xfxFaJQUaN</a>
&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1867283595619930459?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Using various sophisticated electronic detection technologies provided by federal authorities, we have not been able to, and neither have state or local law enforcement authorities, corroborate any of the reported visual sightings,&#8221; Kirby said.
&#8220;To the contrary,&#8221; he added, &#8220;upon review of available imagery it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft that are being operated lawfully.&#8221;
Kirby said the U.S. Coast Guard has &#8220;confirmed&#8221; that there is no evidence of foreign-based coastal vessels and insisted that there are no reported or confirmed drone sightings in any restricted airspace.
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&#8220;That said, we certainly take seriously the threat that can be posed by unmanned aircraft systems which is why law enforcement and other agencies continue to support New Jersey and investigate reports, even though they have uncovered no malicious activity or intent,&#8221; he said.
Kirby said the reported sightings &#8220;highlight a gap in authorities&#8221; and therefore the White House encourages Congress to &#8220;pass important legislation that will extend and expand existing counter-drone authorities.&#8221;
Such an expansion would help ensure &#8220;we are better prepared to identify and mitigate any potential threats to airports or any other critical infrastructure and so that state and local authorities are provided all the tools they need to respond to such threats as well,&#8221; Kirby said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/JacquiHeinrich?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JacquiHeinrich</a> grills John Kirby on the drones: &quot;The analysis thus far in an investigation that is ongoing has not revealed any national security or malicious intent, or criminal activity.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/XQz26ERQY7">pic.twitter.com/XQz26ERQY7</a>
&mdash; The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) <a href="https://twitter.com/TPostMillennial/status/1867292195968921846?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Kirby later <a href="https://x.com/UAPJames/status/1867301908529950794" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that he &#8220;cannot characterize for you definitely&#8221; what the sightings may be and <a href="https://x.com/TPostMillennial/status/1867292195968921846" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated</a> that an analysis so far &#8220;has not revealed any national security or malicious intent, or criminal activity.&#8221; He also said: &#8220;We&#8217;re at the beginning here, not the end.&#8221;

White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby

White House: Feds Cannot ‘Corroborate’ Mysterious Drone Sightings Over New Jersey

Drones

National Security

New Jersey

U.S.

White House

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/north-korea" target="_blank" rel="noopener">North Korean</a> troops who join Russia in the war against Ukraine will be “fair game,” a White House spokesman said.
North Korea is expected to send roughly 12,000 troops to Russia for training and to potentially aid the Russian military in its fight against Ukraine, according to assessments from the U.S. and South Korean governments. About 3,000 North Korean troops have deployed to Russia already and are training at Russian military bases.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby called the North Korean troops “fair game” if they enter the war against Ukraine, according to <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/north-korean-troops-russia-ukraine-fair-game-us-putin-rcna176989" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBC News</a>.
“They&#8217;re fair targets and the Ukrainian military will defend themselves against North Korean soldiers the same way they’re defending themselves against Russian soldiers,” Kirby said. “There could be dead and wounded North Korean soldiers fighting against Ukraine.”
The North Korean deployment to Russia follows years of the two countries signaling increased cooperation, especially after the West moved to isolate Russia after it invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
Russia denied the reports of North Korea troop movements. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called the reports “fake and hype” on Wednesday.
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In comments from Rome on Wednesday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/north-korea-deploys-troops-to-russia-setting-off-alarms-in-the-west" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that although North Korean troops have been deployed to Russia, it is not yet clear what their aims are.
“We are seeing evidence that there are North Korean troops that have gone to Russia,” Austin said. “What, exactly, they’re doing is left to be seen.”
South Korean officials, on the other hand, said that the North Korean troops were sent to bolster Russian forces fighting against Ukraine. South Korea’s defense minister told lawmakers on Thursday that North Korean troops were dressing in Russian uniforms and joining battle against Ukraine.
“Kim Jong Un is selling North Korean soldiers as cannon fodder mercenaries,” the defense minister said, according to NBC.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said that in light of North Korea’s expanded role in the war, South Korea would consider boosting its aid to Ukraine to include weapons on top of the non-lethal assistance South Korea has been providing.
The troop movements have rattled officials within NATO, who have begun discussions on what the development means for the alliance and how it approaches the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
“If these troops are destined to fight in Ukraine, it would mark a significant escalation in North Korea’s support for Russia’s illegal war and yet another sign of Russia’s significant losses on the front lines,” NATO spokeswoman Farah Dakhlallah told <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/united-states-north-korean-troops-now-in-russia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Politico Europe</a> in a statement. “We are actively consulting within the Alliance on this matter, and the North Atlantic Council will receive a briefing from the Republic of Korea and further discuss this matter soon.”

North Korean military

North Korean Troops Who Join Russia In Ukraine War Are ‘Fair Targets,’ U.S. Says

Global Politics

NATO

North Korea

South Korea

Ukraine-Russia War

World

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/north-korea" target="_blank" rel="noopener">North Korean</a> troops have deployed to Russia and may join the fight against Ukraine, U.S. officials said Wednesday.
The confirmation from U.S. officials came after South Korea and Ukraine in recent days have expressed alarm at the North Korea troop movements. South Korean lawmakers have said that 3,000 North Korean troops have left to Russia so far, and another 7,000 are expected to go, according to <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/north-korean-troops-sent-russia-us-confirms-war-ukraine-rcna176346" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBC News</a>.
“We assess that between early- to mid-October, North Korea moved at least 3,000 soldiers into eastern Russia,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said, according to <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2024/10/23/politics/lloyd-austin-north-korea-troops-russia/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN</a>. “We assess that these soldiers traveled by ship from the Wonsan area in North Korea to Vladivostok, Russia. … We do not yet know whether these soldiers will enter into combat alongside the Russian military, but this is certainly a highly concerning probability. After completing training, these soldiers could travel to western Russia and then engage in combat against the Ukrainian military.”
Kirby’s comments followed an initial confirmation of U.S. intelligence from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who spoke to reporters in Rome on Wednesday.
“We are seeing evidence that there are North Korean troops that have gone to Russia,” Austin said. “What, exactly, they’re doing is left to be seen.”
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If North Korea joins the war in Ukraine, the consequences could be severe and widespread, the Defense secretary said.
“If they’re a co-belligerent, their intention is to participate in this war on Russia’s behalf, that is a very, very serious issue, and it will have impacts not only on in Europe, it will also impact things in the Indo Pacific as well,” he said.
The troop movements have caused unease within NATO, which has begun discussions on how the alliance will respond should North Korea join the war, according to a spokeswoman.
“Allies have confirmed evidence of a DPRK troop deployment to Russia. If these troops are destined to fight in Ukraine, it would mark a significant escalation in North Korea’s support for Russia’s illegal war and yet another sign of Russia’s significant losses on the front lines,” NATO spokeswoman Farah Dakhlallah told <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/united-states-north-korean-troops-now-in-russia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Politico Europe</a> in a statement.
“We are actively consulting within the Alliance on this matter, and the North Atlantic Council will receive a briefing from the Republic of Korea and further discuss this matter soon,” she added.
North Korea and Russia have strengthened their ties in recent years. In June, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/russia-vladimir-putin-north-korea-kim-jong-un-new-strategic-partnership-agreement-against-western-countries/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> an agreement to provide “mutual assistance in the event of aggression against one of the participants.”

Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un

North Korea Deploys Troops To Russia, Setting Off Alarms In The West

Lloyd Austin

Russia

A White House official was asked about a group of veterans who were critical of the Biden administration’s mishandling of the Afghanistan withdrawal and said there was no point in responding to a “handful of vets.”
White House National Security Council communications adviser John Kirby accidentally hit reply all to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/kirby-no-use-responding-handful-vets-bidens-botched-afghan-withdrawal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a Fox News inquiry</a> when he apparently meant to reply to White House staffers. In his response, Kirby diminished the concerns of veterans on the anniversary of 9/11.
&#8220;Obviously no use in responding. A ‘handful’ of vets indeed and all of one stripe,&#8221; Kirby said in his response.
Fox News said it had reached out to the White House on Wednesday afternoon with comments from four veterans, including Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL), who were unhappy with Kirby’s press conference on Monday. Fox included quotes from four veterans who said Kirby was “deflecting” from the Biden administration’s bungled withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
&#8220;The bottom line is that the Biden-Harris administration chose politics over strategy, and Kirby, who I wouldn’t trust to guard my grocery list, is now trying to cover for them,&#8221; Mills said in one of the quotes.
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The situation began when the House Foreign Affairs Committee, chaired by Rep. Mike McCaul (R-TX), released a report that disputed the Biden administration’s long-held claim that the withdrawal was former President Donald Trump’s fault and that President Joe Biden was bound by an agreement Trump made with Afghanistan. Trump’s agreement established a deadline in 2021 but included conditions for withdrawal.
The report from McCaul found that State Department officials had no plan to help Americans and Afghan allies get out of the country while American troops were still there to protect them, Fox News reported. The report also determined that the Biden administration didn’t adequately respond to terror threats ahead of the withdrawal, leading to the deaths of 13 U.S. service members and more than 150 Afghan civilians. The botched withdrawal also left the Taliban with upwards of $7 billion in abandoned U.S. weapons and equipment and $57 million that had been given to the Afghan government before the Taliban took over.
In April 2021, Biden <a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/article/2573268/biden-announces-full-us-troop-withdrawal-from-afghanistan-by-sept-11/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> that he would fully withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan before September 11, which precluded him from determining if conditions on the ground warranted the withdrawal.
After McCaul had released his report, Kirby attended <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/press-briefings/2024/09/09/press-briefing-by-press-secretary-karine-jean-pierre-and-national-security-communications-adviser-john-kirby/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a White House briefing</a> to dismiss its findings and defend Biden by blaming Trump for the disaster that had happened under Biden’s watch.
&#8220;President Biden, for his part, faced a stark choice when he came to office: Abide by the flawed agreement and end America’s longest war, or blow up the deal, extend the war, and see a much smaller contingent of American troops back in combat with the Taliban,&#8221; Kirby said at the press briefing. &#8220;He chose the former and was able to buy additional time to prepare for that withdrawal all the way into summer, and we, as a nation, are safer for it.&#8221;

Biden Official’s Reply-All Gaffe: Trivializing Veterans’ Afghanistan Concerns, ‘No Use In Responding’

John Kirby’s Reply-All Gaffe: Trivializing Veterans' Afghanistan Concerns, ‘No Use In Responding’

Afghanistan

Donald Trump

Fox News

Media

Trump Administration

Newly released emails show top Biden administration officials discussing the chaos of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/afghanistan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Afghanistan</a> withdrawal in the days leading up to the deadly terrorist attack that killed 13 American soldiers three years ago today. 
The <a href="https://justthenews.com/sites/default/files/2024-08/FGI-FOIA-Kirby-Docs.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">messages</a>, obtained by watchdog organization the Functional Government Initiative and <a href="https://justthenews.com/government/security/defense-department-internal-memos-undermine-official-narrative-afghanistan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shared</a> with Just the News, show that former Pentagon spokesman John Kirby was fully aware of the “chaos” on the ground in Afghanistan despite later saying he didn’t see how the withdrawal could have been done better. 
On August 16, 2021, 10 days before the attack, Kirby sent out a State Department report detailing “breaches” and “flightline insecurity” at the Hamid Karzai International Airport (HKIA) in Kabul. The report made clear that U.S. forces were quickly being overrun there. 
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“DOD continuing to surge to theater, but at moment, further breaches cannot be fully prevented at current force levels,” the report said, noting that the “Taliban have been increasingly positioning near HKIA access points.” 
The report also noted crowds of people swarming American airplanes prior to takeoff, with some even trying to grab onto the aircraft as they accelerated down the runway for departure. 
&#8220;Hundreds have flooded the flight line and in at least one case, have forced themselves onto at least one US mil (and other civilian) aircraft. Crowds continue to run alongside planes, including mil aircraft,&#8221; the report said. 
Also on August 16, Kirby was asked by speechwriter Warren Bass about an appearance from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. 
“Unless you&#8217;re itching to get him to the podium, this could well be the first time the SD has been out in public since the collapse in Afghanistan,” Bass wrote. “At a minimum, he&#8217;d need to start with a serious topper on the Afghan chaos.”
“Warren—warm words are good. We’ll want to do a spray given the circumstances,” Kirby replied. 
In another email on August 16, Kirby noted that “things are not going well at HKIA.”
Just 10 days later, an ISIS suicide bomber would attack the Abbey Gate entrance of the airport, killing 13 American soldiers and around 170 Afghan civilians.
The soldiers killed were Marines Sgt. Darin T. Hoover, Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo, Sgt. Nicole L. Gee, Cpl. Hunter Lopez, Cpl. Daegan W. Page, Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez, Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza, Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz, Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum, Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola, Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui, and Navy Petty Officer Third Class Maxton W. Soviak and Army Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss.
In the wake of the attack, Kirby defended the Biden-Harris administration after receiving sharp criticism. 
“Now, some say we should have started mass evacuations sooner and, ‘Couldn’t this have been done in a more orderly manner?’” Kirby later said. “I respectfully disagree.”
In April 2023, Kirby claimed he saw no chaos from his vantage point.  “For all this talk of chaos, I just didn’t see it. Not from my perch,” he said. 
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Peter MicGinnis, a spokesman for the Functional Government Initiative, said that the messages show that Kirby always knew how bad the situation on the ground was. 
“These documents are Mr. Kirby’s perch. They show what he saw–confusion, miscommunication, inadequate resources, tragic deaths,” he said. “This situation showed an administration out of its depth and a military trying to salvage a near-impossible situation. But the American public didn’t need these emails to know the truth about the chaos. They saw the shameful episode unfold in real time on their TV screens.”

Aftermath of the 2 explosions in Kabul

3 Years Ago A Terrorist Attack Killed 13 U.S. Troops. Newly-Released Emails Show Biden Admin Was Aware Of The ‘Chaos’ That Led To It.

3 Years Ago A Terrorist Attack Killed 13 U.S. Troops. Newly-Released Emails Show Biden Admin Was Aware Of The 'Chaos' That Led To It.

Department of Defense

Pentagon

Terrorism

Fox News anchor Bill Hemmer grilled Security Council spokesman John Kirby during a Monday interview, asking him to point to anywhere that he could say that &#8220;American strength and persuasion&#8221; had improved since President Joe Biden took office.
Hemmer laid out a list of global conflicts and situations that he said appeared to have been mishandled by the Biden administration — from the disastrous troop withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 to Iran&#8217;s unprecedented direct attack on Israel over the weekend — and then asked Kirby whether he could really say that the United States&#8217; stature had really improved on the world stage.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
BILL HEMMER: &quot;Can you argue that American strength and persuasion is better today than it was four years ago globally?&quot;
JOHN KIRBY: &quot;Yeah, 100%&quot;
HEMMER: &quot;&#8230;..where?&quot; <a href="https://t.co/kuxx7gIUrX">pic.twitter.com/kuxx7gIUrX</a>
&mdash; RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1779862263895040347?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I was looking back at the track record for President Biden,&#8221; Hemmer began. &#8220;Here&#8217;s what sticks out: the Afghanistan withdrawal was a mess, we failed to stop Putin from going into Ukraine, the war with Israel and Hamas has been absolutely dreadful and destructive — again, it&#8217;s the first time Iran has aimed at Israel – China&#8217;s military buildup is substantial &#8230; and that was just this morning, what I came up with.&#8221;
&#8220;Can you argue that American strength and persuasion is better today than it was four years ago globally?&#8221; he asked.
&#8220;Oh, yeah,&#8221; Kirby replied. &#8220;Yeah, 100% I can.&#8221;
Hemmer&#8217;s follow-up question was just one word: &#8220;Where?&#8221;
Kirby skirted the direct question and did not give any specific instances or locations, instead offering the vague claim that the Biden administration had displayed &#8220;leadership&#8221; and built the kind of global ties that were necessary to bolster national security.
&#8220;I can do that very comfortably. After serving for as long as I did in uniform, I&#8217;ll tell you, this is a president who understands American leadership on the world stage,&#8221; Kirby said, adding that Biden had made the right connections &#8220;not just militarily but diplomatically, economically — around the world to advance our national security interests.&#8221;

White House Holds Press Briefing

Fox News Anchor Grills John Kirby: ‘Can You Argue That American Strength And Persuasion Is Better Today?’

Fox News Anchor Grills John Kirby: 'Can You Argue That American Strength And Persuasion Is Better Today?'

Bill Hemmer

Iran

Joe Biden

U.S. National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby repeatedly defended President Joe Biden&#8217;s decision to <a href="https://freebeacon.com/national-security/iran-has-made-80-billion-in-illicit-oil-sales-since-biden-took-office/">relax sanctions</a> enforcement against the Islamic Republic of Iran, which has helped the country earn tens of billions of dollars in oil revenue.
Kirby made the remarks during a Sunday interview with Shannon Bream on Fox News after Iran launched 185 one-way suicide drones, 110 surface-to-surface missiles, and 36 cruise missiles at Israel.
Bream asked, &#8220;Is it not fair to say though there have been moves by this administration that have opened up cash and other opportunities for them, which we know are fungible in ways that are not helping the Iranian people, but are benefiting the elites and people there who chant &#8216;Death to America&#8217; and &#8216;Death to Israel&#8217;?&#8221;
Kirby responded by claiming that it was former President Donald Trump who enacted &#8220;the sanctions relief program&#8221; for Iran, even though Trump was known for enacting crippling sanctions on Iran.
&#8220;It doesn&#8217;t go to the regime,&#8221; Kirby said. &#8220;And the idea that the regime was somehow felt like they were freed up to support these proxies because of that, it just doesn&#8217;t comport with the facts. They had been supporting these proxies for many, many years.&#8221;
Bream noted that the Iranians themselves have said they would use the money however they want.
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John Kirby insists the billions of dollars Biden has unlocked for Iran aren&#39;t going to the regime, denies the funds are &quot;fungible,&quot; and blames President Trump <a href="https://t.co/ihjIWzchGC">pic.twitter.com/ihjIWzchGC</a>
&mdash; RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1779534815152214209?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 14, 2024</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;The conversations about unfreezing assets, about waivers on sanctions, could this administration have been tougher on Iran?&#8221; Bream asked. &#8220;Did it sense an opening?&#8221;
Kirby insisted it was &#8220;hard to look at what President Biden has done with respect to Iran and say that he hasn&#8217;t been tough on Iran.&#8221;
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&#8220;Just look at the sanctions that we put in place against Iran,&#8221; Kirby claimed. &#8220;Look at the resources we put in this in the into the region. It&#8217;s hard to take a look at what President Biden has done and say that we&#8217;ve somehow gone soft on Iran. It was the previous administration that decided to get us out of the Iran deal. And now Iran is so much dramatically closer to potential nuclear weapon capability than they were before Mr. Trump was elected.&#8221;
Iran moved closer to obtaining a nuclear weapon under Biden, not Trump, according to Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), a non-partisan institution focusing on national security and foreign policy.
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Massive increase in Iranian nuclear enrichment since President Biden elected. Facts are stubborn things. So is Khamenei when he faces minimal American pressure and massive sanctions relief. <a href="https://t.co/CNJ4VZCYFo">pic.twitter.com/CNJ4VZCYFo</a>
&mdash; Mark Dubowitz (@mdubowitz) <a href="https://twitter.com/mdubowitz/status/1774907338530414600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2024</a></blockquote>
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White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre And NSC Coordinator John Kirby Hold Daily Press Briefing

Kirby Defends Biden Easing Sanctions On Iran Leading To Billions In Oil Revenue

White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby said during an interview on Sunday that the U.S. government has not seen any indication that Israel has violated international laws with the execution of its war against Hamas inside Gaza.
Kirby made the remarks on CBS News&#8217; &#8220;Face The Nation&#8221; with Margaret Brennan while discussing the war six months after Hamas launched an unprecedented terrorist attack on October 7.
&#8220;We have a normal process the State Department runs and governs, where they take a look at incidents, particularly those that are being- operations being conducted by partner countries,&#8221; Kirby said. &#8220;And they look at them and they assess them against international law. And they&#8217;re doing that in real-time, Margaret. So, some of them may have looked at and concluded, some they&#8217;re still looking at it.&#8221;
&#8220;Thus far, as I said the other day, we&#8217;ve not seen any indication they have violated international humanitarian law,&#8221; Kirby continued. &#8220;But we take this seriously. They take it seriously at the State Department. And we&#8217;ll keep looking at this.&#8221;
WATCH:
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The segment comes after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/israels-military-takes-full-responsibility-for-strike-that-killed-7-aid-workers-fires-those-responsible-implements-changes">announced</a> on Friday that it took “full responsibility” for an airstrike that killed seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid workers inside Gaza.
The strike happened on Monday during an operation to transfer humanitarian aid from the WCK to the Gaza Strip, the IDF said in a statement following the conclusion of an independent investigation into the incident carried out by the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s Fact-Finding and Assessment Mechanism (FFAM).
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While the vehicles the WCK workers were traveling in were properly marked, the IDF investigation found that the markings were not visible to the cameras monitoring them because the mission took place at night.
IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari <a href="https://twitter.com/IDF/status/1776320634382864741">said</a> that “significant measures” were immediately being implemented to prevent situations like this from happening again.
“This is a tragedy. It was a terrible chain of errors, and it should never have happened,” Hagari said. “The IDF takes full responsibility for this regrettable loss of life.”
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/idf-pulls-ground-troops-from-southern-gaza-stresses-war-is-not-over-until-hostages-are-free">IDF Pulls Ground Troops From Southern Gaza, Stresses ‘War Is Not Over’ Until Hostages Are Free</a>

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre National Security Council spokesman John Kirby

U.S. Has ‘Not Seen Any Indication’ That Israel Has ‘Violated International Humanitarian Law’: John Kirby

Gaza

Terrorists

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/israel-defense-forces-idf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Israel Defense Forces (IDF)</a> insisted on Sunday that the war against Hamas is not coming to a close following <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-withdraws-ground-troops-from-south-gaza-leaving-just-one-brigade-in-enclave/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a> of a ground troop withdrawal from southern Gaza.
Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, a spokesperson for the IDF, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-68744024" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly told the BBC</a> that the military completed its mission in the Khan Younis area, leading to a rotation of troops while a focus of the campaign remains on the southern city of Rafah.
&#8220;It is a decline in the forces but there are more operations that need to be conducted. Rafah is clearly a stronghold. We need to dismantle Hamas&#8217; capabilities wherever they are,&#8221; Lerner said.
&#8220;This is another stage in the war effort&#8221; in which the IDF&#8217;s campaign is &#8220;continuously evolving,&#8221; he continued, adding, &#8220;The war is not over. War can only be over when they [hostages] come home and when Hamas is gone.&#8221;
IDF forces have been fighting in Gaza for six months after Hamas launched an attack on Israel in October that killed roughly 1,200 people. An IDF spokesperson <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/how-many-israeli-hostages-still-held-6-months-gaza-1887290" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Newsweek</a> on Friday a little more than half of the approximately 250 hostages taken are still being held.
The Times of Israel <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-withdraws-ground-troops-from-south-gaza-leaving-just-one-brigade-in-enclave/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> on Sunday the IDF had withdrawn all of its &#8220;maneuvering ground forces&#8221; from Gaza, leaving just one brigade to protect a corridor that bisects the territory, cutting the northern part off from the rest of the strip.
Holly Williams, a reporter for CBS News, <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1776992560692535599" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the remaining Israeli troops are on Gaza&#8217;s border with Israel and noted that a colleague informed her that people can &#8220;move freely&#8221; from southern Gaza up to central Gaza for the first time in three months.
John Kirby, a National Security Council spokesman, <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/week-transcript-4-7-24-chef-jos-andrs/story?id=108949216" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told ABC News</a> that the U.S. believes the pullout is &#8220;really just about rest and refit for these troops&#8221; after four months of fighting and &#8220;not necessarily &#8230; indicative of some coming new operation for these troops.&#8221;
Israel has been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/netanyahu-approves-idf-operation-in-rafah-hamas-last-stronghold" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gearing up</a> for an invasion of Rafah, where it was estimated that more than half the strip’s 2.3 million population had gathered during the conflict, to root out a Hamas stronghold and free hostages who may be held there.
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Although the United States continues to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/03/29/us-weapons-israel-gaza-war/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">supply weapons</a> to Israel, the Biden administration has voiced opposition to the plan for a Rafah ground operation and is pushing for a ceasefire.
In an address on Sunday, reportedly delivered hours after the reports of the partial withdrawal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there would be <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/world/israel-withdraws-all-ground-troops-southern-gaza-leaving-one-idf-brigade-enclave" target="_blank" rel="noopener">no standing down</a> until the hostage situation is resolved.
&#8220;Citizens of Israel, there is no war more just than this one, and we are determined to achieve total victory,&#8221; <a href="https://www.jns.org/netanyahu-after-withdrawal-we-will-destroy-hamas-including-in-rafah/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Netanyahu said</a>, adding, &#8220;I have made it clear to the international community: There will be no ceasefire without the return of the hostages. It simply will not happen.&#8221;

Israeli army soldier atop a tank

IDF Pulls Ground Troops From Southern Gaza, Stresses ‘War Is Not Over’ Until Hostages Are Free

IDF Pulls Ground Troops From Southern Gaza, Stresses 'War Is Not Over' Until Hostages Are Free

Benjamin Netanyahu

Israel Defense Forces (IDF)

National Security Counsel spokesman John Kirby took number of questions about the weekend drone strike that killed three American service-members and wounded more than a dozen — but he became visibly irritated when one reporter asked whether President Joe Biden would weigh public opinion polls when he considered any military response.
The exchange took place during Monday&#8217;s press briefing, not even 48 hours after most Americans learned of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/multiple-u-s-soldiers-killed-dozens-injured-by-iranian-backed-terrorists-in-middle-east" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drone attack</a> in Jordan, near the Syrian border — perpetrated, as many such recent attacks have been — by Iran-backed terrorist groups throughout the region.
WATCH:
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John Kirby gets angry when asked if the Biden is going to look at the American people for his decision-making: &quot;That&#39;s one heck of a question!&quot; <a href="https://t.co/HjNdObYRXh">pic.twitter.com/HjNdObYRXh</a>
&mdash; HalalFlow (@halalflow) <a href="https://twitter.com/halalflow/status/1752054333300986112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2024</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;The president was sent a letter on Friday from a bipartisan group of lawmakers, and he had been accused of unauthorized strikes against the Houthis and by bypassing Congress,&#8221; Al Jazeera&#8217;s Kimberly Halkett began. &#8220;They said no president, regardless of political party, has the constitutional authority to bypass Congress on matters of war. Do you think that that would apply here, given this escalation?&#8221;
&#8220;Not at war with the Houthis. We’re not going to be — we’re not looking for a war with Iran. The president is comfortable that he has the appropriate legal authority to act in self-defense of our ships, our sailors, our troops, and our facilities at sea or ashore,&#8221; Kirby replied.
Halkett argued that the American people should have some input, adding, &#8220;Isn’t it time to involve the American people? I mean, given the fact that the American people were not happy about [that] I mean.&#8221;
&#8220;I suspect the American people are not happy about attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea,&#8221; Kirby countered. &#8220;I also suspect they’re not happy about seeing American troops killed at a base in Jordan. The president has the authority to defend those troops and those facilities, and he’ll do that.&#8221;
Halkett then turned to the political side of things, asking whether the fact that it was an election year might have any impact on Biden&#8217;s decision-making.
&#8220;Is the president looking at his polling when he’s weighing all of these options? Is the president looking at it?&#8221;
&#8220;Well, I guess that’s a heck of a question. He’s not looking. Ma’am, ma’am, ma’am, let me just stop you right there,&#8221; Kirby shot back. The Commander in Chief is not looking at polling or considering the electoral calendar when he’s defending [the American people].&#8221;
&#8220;He’s not looking at political calculations or the polling or the electoral calendar as he works to protect our troops ashore and our ships at sea. And any suggestion to the contrary is offensive,&#8221; he concluded.

Reporter Asks If Biden Will Consult Polls Before Striking Iran-Backed Terrorists — And Kirby Blows Up

Al Jazeera

Polls

Fox News host Martha MacCallum blasted U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby during an interview this week for saying President Joe Biden is taking the border crisis seriously.
The Wednesday interview happened as millions of illegal aliens have unlawfully entered the U.S. southern border under Biden&#8217;s administration, which has resulted in states starting to act on their own.
MacCallum noted that the illegal immigration issue had been the top concern for voters in Iowa and New Hampshire.
When Kirby said that Biden has tried to act with a sense of urgency to fix the crisis, MacCallum shot back: &#8220;He’s been president for three years.&#8221;
&#8220;This is not just the same old immigration issue we’ve had going on for a decade as he said the other day,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;These are record numbers all the time. And people in Iowa and New Hampshire are the ones that are expressing concerns about it. This isn’t Arizona and Texas. This is Iowa and New Hampshire. I don’t think that people sense that there’s an urgency to address this.&#8221;
Kirby said that Biden was &#8220;limited&#8221; in what actions he could take, saying that Congress was moving forward with a plan to address the issue.
“They’re not really moving along well,” MacCallum fired back. “You say he’s been concerned about it for three years, but that’s failing, obviously. When you have record numbers of people coming in, that means the policy’s failing. So, why not change gears and try to do something that works?”
MacCallum continued to press Kirby: &#8220;John, do we have a border? Do we have a southern border? Do we have a southern border?&#8221;
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&#8220;Yes, ma’am,&#8221; he responded. &#8220;Of course we do.&#8221;
&#8220;Then how come people can flow across it every single day?&#8221; she pressed. &#8220;Hundreds of thousands of people? Three hundred thousand people in December.&#8221;
WATCH:
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DO WE HAVE A SOUTHERN BORDER? I asked John Kirby, here’s what he had to say: <a href="https://t.co/MD5vIW129y">pic.twitter.com/MD5vIW129y</a>
&mdash; Martha MacCallum (@marthamaccallum) <a href="https://twitter.com/marthamaccallum/status/1750544193519231482?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2024</a></blockquote>
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WATCH: Martha MacCallum Blasts John Kirby For Claiming Biden Is Trying To Fix Border Crisis

Border Crisis

Illegal Immigration

Martha MacCallum

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