Screenshot / YouTube, Fox News, Cropped by Resist the Mainstream

A local radio station in North Carolina is leveling accusations against the White House, claiming that an interview with press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre took a sour turn when questions about President Joe Biden's mental state and the economy were raised.

Jean-Pierre's appearance on 99.3 WBT with Mark Garrison of Charlotte-based radio station, occurred ahead of President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris' visit to Raleigh, North Carolina, for a campaign stop.

The interview allegedly ended abruptly with Jean-Pierre seemingly hanging up on the host after becoming frustrated with the line of questioning.

White House spokesperson Andrew Bates refuted the accusations, stating that Jean-Pierre had a tight schedule with back-to-back interviews and was adhering to time constraints. Bates further claimed that the station added a dial tone sound effect after the interview ended, which the station vehemently denied.

“The White House assertion that we added a sound effect is nonsense. When she hung up, the phone noise was purely from their end,” Garrison asserted in an email exchange with the Daily Caller.

In response to Garrison's claims, Bates referred to a statement provided to the Daily Beast, maintaining the stance that the station manipulated the sound effect.

During the interview, Garrison broached the sensitive topic of whether the president is suffering from dementia, prompting Jean-Pierre to label the question “incredibly offensive” before swiftly moving on. Subsequently, after a question about the economy, Jean-Pierre appeared to conclude the conversation abruptly.

The discussion then shifted to economic concerns in North Carolina, with Garrison questioning how Biden could secure votes when people are grappling with rising prices. Jean-Pierre emphasized Biden's middle-class upbringing and highlighted his efforts to alleviate financial burdens, citing decreases in gas prices and grocery costs.

The conversation was cut short, with Jean-Pierre bidding farewell and a busy signal following, prompting Garrison to assert that she had hung up.

Another unidentified individual in the studio expressed surprise, accusing Jean-Pierre of displaying “fragility” in response to the questions.