As we reported on Wednesday, #GhostGate is the top story of the week, with the devolution of the White House Press Conference into shouting over Biden’s mental state. Joe and Apollo brought the fun back to Conservative Daily’s Fun Friday going through the tape this morning. WATCH.
The transcript of Wednesday’s press conference has now been released, and Karine Jean-Pierre (KJP) stuck to her messaging: That the late Congresswoman was “top of mind,” and it’s not unusual or confusing to call out for a deceased colleague in a room full of reporters.
Not unusual for Biden, clearly.
In Defense of KJP
Holly at Altitude and I were debating KJP’s performance this week, and I found myself defending the barrier-breaking press secretary. The Biden administration cannot yield any ground in the debate over Biden’s mental state because it’s become obvious to everyone that the alleged Commander-in-Chief is out of his mind. The job of his Press Secretary is to stick to the message and not allow reporters to trick her into saying the "President was Confused." We'd jump all over that.
Reporters repeatedly tried to get KJP to clarify, and Al Jazeera’s Kimberly Halkett insisted on a straight answer. According to the official transcript, Halkett said:
“Why doesn’t he just apologize? … These moments of confusion are happening with increasing frequency. Why not just apologize? … Americans are watching this and are having concerns. What do you say to that? … What do you say to that? … This is a legitimate question. We need to have some answers. … No, we were asking about the mental acuity of the President. … This is a valid question. … You might be being rude to us by not answering the question. … Can we have an answer to the substantive question here? … We’re just trying to get an answer, Karine. ‘Top of mind’ is not an answer.”
The full transcript of #GhostGate questions and answers is provided below.
KJP cannot allow the debate on Biden’s mental state because there is no possible defense for the bumbling old fool. It has to be dismissed and reframed. This was essentially my argument to Holly:
“She was strong on holding the line and sticking to her key messaging. She was disciplined in not giving them anything to run with on, ‘Biden is confused.’ She stuck to the messaging, even though the messaging was stupid.”
Then Holly won the debate: “Ashe, she’s the press secretary. She developed the messaging.”
Mic drop.
“Top of Mind is Not an Answer”
Halkett is right. “Top of Mind” is not an answer. KJP is scheduled to give another Press Briefing this afternoon, and CD will be watching to see if we get any clarity on #GhostGate.
In the meantime, watch the hilarious exchange between Joe and Apollo from this morning, and check out the full exchange between KJP and brave journalists on Wednesday.
WHITE HOUSE OFFICIAL RECORD OF PRESS BRIEFING ON “WHERE’S JACKIE”
FIRST EXCHANGE
Q What happened in the hunger event today? The President appeared to look around the room for an audience member, a member of Congress who passed away last month. He seemed to indicate she might be in the room. What happened there?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So the President was, as you all know — you guys were watching today’s event, a very important event on food insecurity. The President was naming the congressional champions on this issue and was acknowledging her incredible work. He had — he had already planned to welcome the congresswoman’s family to the White House on Friday. There will be a bill signing in her honor this coming Friday.
So, of course, she was on his mind. She was of top of mind for the President. He looks — very much looks forward to discussing her remarkable legacy of public service with them when he sees her family this coming Friday.
Q He said, “Jackie, are you here? Where’s Jackie? She must not be here.”
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No, I totally understand. I just — I just explained she was on top of mind. You know, this wasn’t — what we were able to witness today and what the President was able to lift up in this — at this conference at this event was how her — her focus on wanting to deal with, combat food — food insecurity in America. And this is something that he was lifting up and honoring.
And, again, he knows that he’s going to see her family this coming Friday. There’s a bill signing that’s going to happen in renaming a VA clinic in Indiana after the late congresswoman. He knows that he is going to see her family, and she was at top of mind.
SECOND EXCHANGE
Q And just one more quick follow-up, because I’m trying to get my head around the response. If the late congresswoman was top of mind for the President and her family was expected to be here and that’s what he was thinking about, what — why was he looking for her? I’m not trying to be snarky here. But I —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No, I mean — and I’m —
Q I don’t understand the connection between what you’re saying and what he said there.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: And, again, I think people can understand, I think the American people out there who, you know, watch the briefing from time to time, maybe at this moment, will understand when someone is at top of mind. And — and this was such an important — such an important event, when we’re talking about hunger, when we’re talking about food insecurity, when we’re talking about these champions, these congressional champions who were in the room, who have worked in a bipartisan way.
You know, we don’t talk much about bipartisan actions that we see in Congress at this time. And as he was naming folks, he — she was on top of mind, and he understands and knew that she was — he was going to see her family on Friday for this bill signing.
Again, I don’t think it’s all that unusual to have someone top of mind, especially as there’s a big event — two big events — today and also Friday — that is going to occur. And so he’s going to see her family. They’re going to honor her. They’re going to celebrate her. And he will do a bill signing for this really critical — let’s not forget — this critical, important issue for millions and millions of Americans across the country.
THIRD EXCHANGE
Q I’m sorry to have to do this, but I’m compelled to ask you to go one more time back to the question about Congresswoman Walorski.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I’m not sure why. Why? Why one more time?
Q Well, because I think — frankly, honestly, I think the memory of the congresswoman in history requires some clarity here.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Hmmm —
Q Can you explain where the mistake was made? Did the Pres- — was the President confused? Was something written in the teleprompter that he didn’t recognize? Can you just help us understand what happened?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, you’re jumping to a lot of conclusions.
Q No, I’m simply seeing — seeking to find —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No, but you’re — but I —
Q — out what happened here.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No, I hear you, Steven. I’m — I’m answering the question, that you’re jumping to a lot of conclusions.
I just answered the question. If I had said — if that had been the case, I would have stated that. Right? I clearly have stated what you just laid out.
What I had said is that she was on top of mind and that he is going to see her family in just two days’ time, on Friday, to honor her, to honor her work, to honor — to honor her legacy, if you will. I just mentioned this. It’s going to be a renaming of a VA clinic in Indiana in her name. And, you know, that is — that is what he was thinking of.
He was thinking about her as he was — as he was naming out and calling out the congressional champions on this issue — on this really critical issue that’s going to help millions of Americans. And that is — that is — that is what the President was focused on.
Q Would you be prepared to release the prepared remarks that the President had in the teleprompter just so we could understand?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I’m not understanding why — why that would be — would be necessary. We always share the remarks that the President had — even, you know, delivered. That’s probably going to be up on the website. Not really sure what that has to do with anything.
I just answered the question about her being on top of mind. I don’t think that’s any — that’s unusual. I feel like many of us have gone through that particular, you know, time where someone is on top of mind and you call them out and you mention them. Especially in this — this type of context, if you think about how he’s going to the see the family in two days; if you think about how, when he sees them in two days, it’s going to be for such an important moment, assigning — signing a piece of legislation that’s going to rename a VA clinic in her state — that’s important — if you think about this issue and how important this issue is.
And he was, again, calling out congressional champions for this particular issue.
FOURTH EXCHANGE
Q Lastly, I just wanted to return to this question of the congresswoman. And I think we all totally get why she’s top of mind. You’ve made that case pretty effectively.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, thank you.
Q But I think the confusing part is why, if she and the family is top of mind, does the President think that she’s living and in the room?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I don’t find that confusing. I mean, I think many people can speak to sometimes when you have someone top of mind, they are top of mind. Exactly that. And it is also — if you put it into the context, it’s not like it happened without — outside of context, right?
It happened at an event where we were cha- — we were calling out the champions — congressional champions, in particular, of this issue — this important issue, when it comes to food insecurity, something that this administration has led on — led on from the beginning of this administration, not just across the country but also globally.
You heard him talk about food insecurity last week at the U.N. and the investments that we have put forward as — as the — as the United States of America and helping — and helping deal with that.
Look, he was at an event — you all saw, you all watched, which is why you’re asking the question — right? — where he was calling out, again, congressional leaders — a bipartisan leadership that we have seen on this particular issue.
And, again, he’s going to see her family in just two days, and she was on top of mind. I mean, I don’t — that is — I mean, that is — that is not an unusual — unusual scenario there.
Q Karine, I have John Lennon top of mind just about every day, but I’m not looking around for him anywhere.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: When you sign a bill for John Lennon — Lennon as president then we can have this conversation.
Okay —
Q Why doesn’t he just apologize?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: — go ahead. Go ahead.
FIFTH AND FINAL EXCHANGE
Q Thanks, Karine. There are —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead.
Q These moments of confusion are happening with increasing frequency.
Q Why not just apologize?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead.
Q Excuse me. There are reports that —
Q Americans are watching this and are having concerns. What do you say to that?
Q There are reports that Treasury Secretary Yellen —
Q What do you say to that?
Q — is looking to leave the administration —
Q This is a legitimate question. We need to have some answers.
Q — at the end of year. What can you tell us about that?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I’m sorry, somebody was yelling over you, so —
Q No, we were asking about the mental acuity —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead.
Q — of the President.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead.
Q I said there are reports that —
Q This is a valid question.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead.
Q — Treasury Secretary Yellen is looking to leave Secretary Yellen is looking to leave the administration —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: It is not your turn to speak, and you’re being rude to your colleagues, and let your colleague answer the question.
Q You might be being rude to us by —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead. Go ahead.
Q There are reports that —
Q — not answering the question.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No. I — you’re yelling and — over your colleague. So that is incredibly rude.
Q Can we have an answer to the substantive question here?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead. Go ahead.
Q We’re just trying to get an answer, Karine. “Top of mind” is not an answer.
Watch the full show from this morning on our Rumble Channel.
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