On Wednesday White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre faced sharp questioning from CNN reporter Kayla Tausche regarding her decision to appear on “The View” before conducting a formal press briefing after President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race.

Biden’s announcement, made via an official letter on Sunday, marked his decision not to seek re-election, setting the stage for a heated presidential race of Vice President Kamala Harris against Republican nominee, Donald Trump. The absence of a White House briefing for days following the announcement drew criticism and speculation about the administration’s approach to media engagement.

“On the messaging to us, to the press corps, it’s been nine days since there’s been a briefing. The President obviously published his letter officially on Sunday, withdrawing from the race,” Tausche pressed. “Why go on television to make your first comments about that decision?”

“No, I appreciate that. We’ve always had a protocol here,” said Jean-Pierre. “When the President’s not here, we don’t do a briefing. That’s just the way that we’ve always, it’s always happened. The interview that I did yesterday was on the books for about two, three weeks. It was way before, way before the President made his decision.”

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Today, Jean-Pierre confirmed that Biden’s decision not to seek re-election wasn’t due to any reservations about serving another term. While she dodged specific questions about the reasons behind his withdrawal, she assured reporters that Biden will clarify his motives in an upcoming Oval Office address.

For months she, and other White House executives, have dismissed claims that Biden has been dealing with age related health issues.

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