White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre cried out “Jesus!” when National Security Council spokesman John Kirby was asked at a Wednesday press briefing about a majority of Americans believing Joe Biden is corrupt. Jean-Pierre’s exclamation could be heard off camera as a shocked Kirby on camera could only utter “Wow!” and then took six seconds of stunned silence to compose and stammer out a weak denial. But the White House censored Jean-Pierre’s reaction in the transcript posted Wednesday evening.
New York Post reporter Steven Nelson, who asked the question of Kirby, reported on Twitter it was Jean-Pierre who cried out “Jesus!” in response to his question.
“Today I asked WH spokesman John Kirby about this Harvard Harris poll finding that 53% of the public believes ‘Joe Biden was involved with his son in an illegal influence peddling scheme’…Kirby replied, ‘The president has spoken to this. And there’s nothing to these claims’ Upon hearing the question, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, ‘Jesus!'”
Kirby replied, 'The president has spoken to this. And there’s nothing to these claims'
Upon hearing the question, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, 'Jesus!'https://t.co/7Vzf1npF1V
— Steven Nelson (@stevennelson10) May 31, 2023
Short version with captioning posted by Newsweek:
Longer version:
Kirby is now on the record denying any wrongdoing by the Biden Crime Family and then leaves the podium pic.twitter.com/kRokQB0Sx4
— Karli Bonne’ (@KarliBonnita) May 31, 2023
The White House transcript excludes Jean-Pierre’s “Jesus!” reaction, however the transcript includes another off camera remark of someone interjecting “Can I take that question?” indicating a deliberate decision was made to exclude Jean-Pierre’s reaction.
Q I’m sorry, I’ll go to the second one. I’ll ask you the press freedom, Karine. And, John, I’ll ask you the international polling question.
There have been many developments in the House investigations into the First Family’s international business dealings recently. There is one committee trying to get an FBI file alleging that President Biden took bribes. There’s another IRS whistleblower who’s alleging there’s a cover-up in the investigation.
Amid all of this, there was a Harvard/Harris poll this month that found that 53 percent of the public, including a fourth of Democrats, believe, quote, “Joe Biden was involved with his son in an illegal influence peddling scheme.”
There’s, of course, evidence that the President interacted with his relative’s associates from China, Mexico, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Ukraine.
So what do you say to the majority of Americans who believe that the President is himself corrupt?
MR. KIRBY: Wow.
Q Can I take that question?
MR. KIRBY: President — the President —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No, we got to wrap this up.
MR. KIRBY: The President has spoken to this.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We got to wrap this up.
MR. KIRBY: The President has spoken to this, and there’s nothing to these claims.
And as for the — the whistleblower issue that you talked about and the document — I believe the FBI has spoken to that, and you’re going to have to go to them on that.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: All right, let’s go.
Q And question about —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Let’s go. Let’s go.
MR. KIRBY: Thanks, Karine.
Later in the briefing Nelson questioned Jean-Pierre about the Biden administration pre-screening reporters.
'There is no restriction,' Karine Jean-Pierre claimed when I asked about prescreening of press for President Biden's events
Last July, she said ending prescreening was 'priority' after 73 journalists called it 'antithetical to the concept of a free press' https://t.co/uHOdBVYAjo https://t.co/oMnKqbCQJA
— Steven Nelson (@stevennelson10) May 31, 2023
