Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre engaged in a heated exchange with Fox News reporter Peter Doocy, who asked her if she thought Donald Trump stole the 2016 presidential election.
Doocy was questioning Jean-Pierre in the midst of GOP-led indignation over President Joe Biden’s repeated attacks against ‘MAGA Republicans,’ the pro-Donald Trump segment of the party who accept the ex-falsehoods president’s that the 2020 election was stolen from him.
He cited her previous statements alleging that Trump stole the 2016 election from Hillary Clinton and casting doubt on Republican Governor Brian Kemp’s 2018 victory in Georgia.
The official from the Biden administration denounced Doocy’s comparison as ‘crazy.’
Doocy began the discussion by saying, “So we’re all in agreement that it’s improper to assert that the 2020 election was stolen; what about 2016?”
I will not return to where we were or what occurred in 2016. We will concentrate on the present moment,’ Jean-Pierre answered.
“We’re going to focus on what’s occurring today – this inflection moment that the president laid out very clearly and firmly in a few speeches about what the country has to do to bring the country together at this time.”
Doocy persisted, interrogating Jean-Pierre about the alleged ‘new attention’ being paid to GOP election fraud charges when she herself tweeted in December 2016 about a stolen election.
Oh, I was expecting this, the Biden official answered dryly.
“I anticipated, Peter, that you would ask me that question.”
Biden Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre engaged in a heated debate with Fox News journalist Peter Doocy regarding a previous tweet in which she implied that Donald Trump’stole’ his election.
Doocy inquired regarding President Joe Biden’s recent barrage of rhetorical accusations against “MAGA Republicans.”
After the Fox News reporter brought up two old tweets, she criticized him from the platform.
Let’s be crystal clear. This comparison is just absurd,’ Jean-Pierre stated.
She interrupted Doocy by saying, “Well, you’re asking me a question, so let me answer it.”
“At the time, I was speaking especially about what was happening with voting rights and what posed a threat to voting rights.” This is what I was discussing at the moment,’ replied Jean-Pierre.
I previously stated that Georgia Governor Kemp won the race. I’ve been clear on this point. I have stated that President Trump won the 2016 election. And I’ve made my position plain.’
She cited the January 6, 2017 attack on the United States Capitol as evidence that the stakes are higher today.
This was the threat that we perceived at the time. This is what the president has brought attention to, and he will continue to do so.’ Jean-Pierre said.
Jean-Pierre informed Doocy that his parallel to her tweet from 2016 was “crazy.”
The writer also cited a tweet by Jean-Pierre in 2020 in which he accused Republican Georgia Governor Brian Kemp of’stealing’ his 2016 victory from progressive Stacey Abrams.
‘So sure, when you have MAGA Republicans, an extreme portion of Republicans that just reject or do not really state what happened on that day – or say it was a protest when it was manifestly not a peaceful protest – that is not what we witnessed on that day. Yes, the President will address the issue.
Biden has made a number of passionate public appearances over the past two weeks in an effort to rouse the Democratic base ahead of the midterm elections in November.
During a Labor Day address in Wisconsin, Biden used the term “Trumpies” to refer to Trump’s Republican base, which has been a frequent target of his criticisms.
I wish to make it quite apparent that not every Republican is a MAGA Republican. Not all Republicans adhere to this radical viewpoint. The president remarked on Monday, “I know because I’ve been able to deal with mainstream Republicans throughout my entire career.”
“However, the hardline MAGA Republicans in Congress have decided to go backwards – full of rage, violence, hatred, and division.”
Later, at a second speech in Pittsburgh, Biden again attacked MAGA, stating of Trump, ‘It’s obvious which direction he wants to look. It is evident which way the new MAGA Republicans lean, as they are described as “extreme.”
Biden stated, “You cannot call yourselves a democracy if you do not count the ballots that people have properly cast.”