A good-natured ribbing between Fox News’ Peter Doocy and Biden spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre has the internet in stitches after the president’s resident orator attempted a clever comeback that set up her favorite foe for a hilarious takedown.
During Thursday’s press briefing, Doocy asked KJP, “How are you doing” amid the tumultuous few days since President Biden announced he would not continue with his reelection campaign. The direct question took her by surprise. “You actually care about me?” Jean-Pierre asked Doocy, one of her regular nemeses during the briefings. The Fox veteran then asked KJP if she would continue on in her role with Kamala Harris, if victorious. “Let me just get through the day,” she replied with a smile before asking him, “How are you doing? Are you good? I haven’t seen you in a while.” That was all the opening Doocy needed.
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“Well, uh, you guys haven’t had a press briefing since –,” he began before the press corps jeered KJP. “Biden dropped out of the race,” he finished. The press secretary was quick with an excuse. “The president just got here yesterday, and now I’m here taking your questions. And I’ve taken about three or four from you at this point alone.”
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Since being named the network’s White House correspondent in January 2021, Doocy has elevated himself in conservative media circles with pointed questions that have thrown Jean-Pierre off balance at times as she’s struggled to find on-the-spot answers for some of the lowest moments in Biden’s presidency. His failure for days to visit survivors of last year’s Maui wildfires was brought up by Doocy, prompting KJP to briefly lose her composure.
“Do you guys realize that the initial Hawaii wildfire response was not that good? Or is it just easier for people to get help from the White House when the president is not on vacation?” asked Doocy. The spokeswoman snapped back, saying “If you were to do your reporting and speak to the governor of Hawaii, the senators of Hawaii, the folks on the ground, they would say that the President reacted in record time.”
One month later, Doocy asked her directly, “Why does White House staff treat [President Biden] like a baby?” citing sources in a new book who claimed that the president was growing upset with how he was being treated. KJP waved away the rumors, saying it’s not “unusual” for acrimonious, anonymous sniping among White House staff to occur and “happen[ed] all the time” in previous administrations.
However, both professionals also know when to put their swords down. In October of 2023, the Fox News correspondent tried some new material based off of Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) being reprimanded for pulling a fire alarm to disrupt a congressional vote. In a light-hearted moment during a briefing, he posed a comedic question to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre about whether President Biden would ever consider “pulling a fire alarm” to avoid a meeting. The question elicited a chuckle from many present, including Jean-Pierre herself, who responded by saying she had not spoken to the president on the matter and declined to comment further.
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