Harris Says She Can’t Be ‘Critical’ Of Joe Biden As VP When Pressed About What She Would Do Differently
'What is one policy that you would have done different?'
Reporter holds defense secretary's feet to the fire, tries to get answers for American people on hospitalization cover-up
NBC News chief correspondent Peter Alexander held Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's feet to the fire on Thursday over his hospitalization scandal.
For the first time since his secret ICU hospitalization, Austin faced reporters and questions about the scandal that erupted last month. The secretary provided few answers, but it wasn't due to a lack of effort from reporters like Alexander.
About halfway through the press conference, Alexander confronted Austin with the toughest question of the day:
You were hospitalized for days before you informed the White House or the commander in chief of your condition and your absence. Anyone else within the military chain of command would have faced reprimand or even dismissal. Why shouldn't that same standard apply to you, sir?
Austin, unfortunately, did not answer the question.
While in the same breath claiming that he takes "full responsibility" for the scandal — in which he kept President Joe Biden and senior members of the U.S. government in the dark about his hospitalization — Austin said that he is not "sure, at this point, what exactly happened" but promised more answers once the Pentagon inspector general finishes a "review" of the incident.
Austin, then, provided zero reasons for why the same standard applied to military personnel should not be applied to him.
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That was his modus operandi at the press conference.
Reporters asked Austin specific questions about his involvement in the hospital cover-up, and he denied any responsibility for the specific decisions that were made and resulted in the secret hospitalization. Instead, he repeatedly deferred to the IG's "review."
Unfortunately for the American people, it will take months — at the very least — before the IG completes his investigation.
Meanwhile, Austin has been summoned to Capitol Hill to testify in two weeks about the scandal before the House Armed Services Committee. However, he has not yet agreed to testify, according to Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.).
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KJP embarrasses herself when she fumbles easy question about anti-Israel protesters ripping down hostage posters
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre issued a clarification Tuesday after she failed to dunk a layup question.
NBC News correspondent Peter Alexander asked Jean-Pierre at the press briefing about the viral videos of anti-Israel protesters ripping down posters of people kidnapped and held hostage by Hamas. The question was simple: Does the Biden administration condemn these actions or view them as a "peaceful protest"?
But Jean-Pierre completely fumbled the ball.
After some back-and-forth with Alexander, she answered, "I'm just not going to go into specifics on that particular thing."
Instead, Jean-Pierre said that top administration officials are "aware" of "violent protests and threats" — though she failed to provide any details about which protests or which threats — that they believe are "deeply concerning."
In a follow-up question, Alexander tried to gift Jean-Pierre an easy answer, asking if the "deeply concerning" behavior that she cited refers to anti-Israel protesters yanking down hostage posters. But Jean-Pierre rejected his kindness and repeated her previous answer about an "increased volume" of threats toward "the Jewish community to the Arab-American community, to the Muslim communities."
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Jean-Pierre's answers were so bad that she was forced to issue a clarification after the briefing ended.
"As a result of the Hamas terrorist attacks, communities and families are grieving. For the past month, the families of those who have been taken hostage have lived in agony. Tearing down pictures of their loved ones — who are being held hostage by Hamas — is wrong and hurtful," she said.
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It should go without saying: It's embarrassing that a clarification needed to be issued. It's not difficult activate a moral backbone when someone asks you to defend innocent lives that are in the hands of terrorists.
But it similarly required Alexander to ask Jean-Pierre multiple times about Palestinian activists who defaced the White House property over the weekend. However, she at least gave a definitive answer to his question about whether it was "appropriate" to do that, saying, "Obviously not."
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CBS News reporter frustrates Jean-Pierre for exposing hole in excuse for hiding details about Biden classified docs
CBS News correspondent Weijia Jiang called out White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Tuesday for not being forthcoming with details about President Joe Biden's improper retention of classified documents.
The press secretary has claimed she is not divulging details about the discoveries of classified documents to avoid interfering with the Justice Department's investigation. But Jiang quickly exposed the hole in that claim.
"Why, then, did the White House Counsel go to Wilmington to facilitate the handing over of documents to the DOJ?" Jiang asked. "How is that separating the White House from the DOJ?"
Jean-Pierre did not answer. Instead, she deferred to the White House counsel's office.
"But it's related to something that you keep telling us, which is how much it is important to this White House to separate the White House from the DOJ’s investigation," Jiang pushed back. "But the White House counsel was the one to go and facilitate the documents, to look for the documents."
In response, Jean-Pierre admitted that she is not going to provide substantive answers.
"Look, guys, you guys can ask me this 100 times, 200 times, if you wish," she said responded. "I'm going to keep saying the same thing."
Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre youtu.be
Earlier in the briefing, NBC News reporter Peter Alexander called out the White House for attacking Republicans over concerns about Biden's actions.
"Why shouldn’t Americans be outraged about classified documents being found in a garage?" Alexander asked Jean-Pierre.
After she dodged the question and regurgitated the Biden administration's narrative that absolves Biden of wrongdoing, Alexander pressed further.
"Why shouldn’t Americans be upset about documents found in a garage?" he asked again.
But instead of answering the question, Jean-Pierre tried to shift away from the classified documents by downplaying how concerned Americans are with Biden's mishandling of them. Instead, she said, Americans care about the economy.
What is the WH saying?
On Monday, the White House went on the offensive and attacked House Republicans for vowing to investigate Biden.
"House Republicans are playing politics in a shamelessly hypocritical attempt to attack President Biden," said Ian Sams, a spokesman for the White House counsel's office.
Sams doubled down on Tuesday, accusing Republicans of "political stunts and theater." He also charged that Republicans are "faking outrage" because "they defended the former president’s actions."
Sams, however, did not cite any Republican lawmaker who defended Trump's improper retention of classified documents and his alleged refusal to return the documents.
Biden veers from WH-selected reporters to answer abortion question — but he immediately regrets it: 'I shouldn’t even have answered your question'
President Joe Biden disclosed Monday that abortion rights will likely not be codified into federal law. Then he admitted immediate regret for addressing the issue.
What happened?
After meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the president held a press conference in which he took questions from a pre-determined list of reporters. "I’m told there are going to be four questioners," Biden said.
One reporter, NBC News' Peter Alexander, was not apparently on that list — but that didn't stop him from shouting a question.
"Mr. President, what should Americans expect from Congress as it relates to abortion rights after the midterms?" Alexander asked.
Biden's answer was revealing. For all of his rhetoric about the importance of codifying abortion rights into federal law after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Biden said Americans can expect basically nothing.
"I don’t think they can expect much of anything other than we’re going to maintain our positions," Biden said.
The president immediately expressed regret for answering the question.
"I’m not going to get into more questions. I shouldn’t even have answered your question," Biden said
Despite the admission, Biden elaborated on why he believes nothing will change for abortion rights supporters.
"I don’t think there’s enough votes to codify, unless something happens unusual in the House," Biden said. "I think we’re going to get very close in the House. I think it’s going to be very close, but I don’t think we’re going to make it."
President Biden Delivers Remarks and Takes Questions youtu.be
Last month, Biden promised that should Democrats retain control of Congress after the 2022 midterm elections, codifying abortion rights would be his No. 1 priority.
"Here is the promise I make to you and the American people: The first bill that I will send to the Congress will be to codify Roe v. Wade," Biden said.
But with Republicans likely taking control of the House, any pro-abortion legislation will be dead on arrival. Meanwhile, with Republicans able to filibuster in the Senate, Biden's agenda would encounter an impasse in that chamber, too.
NBC's Peter Alexander Asks Trump to 'Apologize' to Veterans for Atlantic Story; Whether True or Not, It 'Resonates'
NBC's Peter Alexander asked Donald Trump to apologize to the military for discredited allegations that the president disparaged dead soldiers.![]()
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