CBS reporter warns Americans to expect 'surprises' from Biden at presidential debate: 'His physical performance'



CBS News reported on Wednesday that Americans should expect "surprises" from President Joe Biden at next week's presidential debate.

Before heading to CNN's headquarters in Atlanta for the June 27 debate, Biden will spend the next week at Camp David with his closest and most-trusted political advisers, who are planning a "robust preparation," according to CBS News senior correspondent Weijia Jiang.

'I assume he's going to be somebody that will be a worthy debater. I don't want to underestimate him.'

"They are going to be mapping out everything they want to get across as they face Donald Trump," Jiang reported.

Sources who spoke to Jiang said Americans shouldn't be surprised about Biden's "messaging" at the debate. Those sources said Biden plans to boast about his "reproductive rights" agenda, his positions on "issues of democracy," and he will try to claim that he has the upper hand on the economy.

"But I'm also told that we should expect some surprises because this is such a critical performance for President Biden, not only on the content, but on his physical performance," Jiang added.

It's not clear what those "surprises" might be, especially in regard to Biden's "physical performance." Unfortunately, Jiang did not say more.

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One perplexing detail about the upcoming debate is what happened when Biden's campaign won a pre-debate coin flip.

Instead of choosing to receive the final word in the debate, Biden's campaign elected to chose on which side of the stage Biden will stand. The campaign, for some reason, wants Biden to appear on the right side of the TV screen. The campaign did not explain its decision.

But it's a confusing one, nonetheless. Giving Trump the final word allows him to make a decisive and lasting impression on voters.

The debate, which CNN is hosting and moderating, will feature new rules not typical of past presidential debates. There will be no live audience, each candidate's microphone will be manually muted and unmuted, there will be commercial breaks, and neither candidate will be allowed to use pre-written notes. Those rules likely benefit Biden.

Meanwhile, Trump is not underestimating his opponent.

"I assume he's going to be somebody that will be a worthy debater. I don't want to underestimate him," the former president said this week.

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CBS reporter corners KJP with perfect questions on Hunter's plea deal that expose Biden's hypocrisy on guns



CBS News reporter Weijia Jiang highlighted on Wednesday President Joe Biden's apparent hypocrisy on gun laws.

At the White House press briefing, Jiang noted that "Biden has spent most of his political career working on gun laws, on gun reform." As an advocate of more gun laws, then, Jiang asked whether Biden believes that "someone who is charged with possessing a firearm illegally should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law?"

Jiang did not cite Hunter Biden specifically, but she invoked the felony crime the first son admitted to. Hunter, of course, was offered pretrial diversion for that crime, not criminal prosecution.

Jean-Pierre, however, was not interested in touching the question with a 1,000-foot pole.

"I think I know where this question is going, and I’m just going to continue to say: As it relates to the case that we’re seeing in Delaware, I’m just going to not speak to that," she responded. "It is an independent matter. This is up for the Department of Justice."

07/26/23: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre www.youtube.com

But Jiang refused to accept "no" as an answer.

"[Biden] talks often about the need to get illegal firearms off of our streets. So when someone possesses one illegally, what does the president believe should happen to them?" she followed up.

The press secretary responded that Biden "has been very clear" and reiterated her previous answer, saying nothing more.

It's true, then, that Jean-Pierre, by her own admission, could see where Jiang was steering her question. Biden claims to want stricter gun laws to prevent individuals from possessing firearms who he thinks should not have them. Yet he is silent when his own son illegally possesses a firearm.

To Jiang's point, the Justice Department typically prosecutes those who illegally possess firearms to the fullest extent of the law. Earlier this year, in fact, the agency boasted about prosecuting individuals accused of committing the same crime that Hunter did, which normally carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

It's unusual, on the other hand, for prosecutors to hand out diversion for such charges, especially because the DOJ's own guidelines on diversion prohibit diversion for certain firearm-related offenses.

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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.

Reporter asks Psaki whether Biden will make a similar commitment for future Supreme Court picks: 'For example, there's never been an Asian American justice or an LGBTQ justice'



President Biden has said that he plans to deliver on his campaign commitment to nominate a black woman to serve on the Supreme Court, but during a press briefing on Wednesday, CBS News senior White House correspondent Weijia Jiang asked White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki whether the president will make a similar commitment regarding any future high court vacancies.

"For example, there's never been an Asian American justice or an LGBTQ justice. So will he make a similar pledge?" the reporter asked.

Psaki stated that Biden has nominated an "enormous number of ... judges ... who are people of color, who are women."

"I don't have any new pledges to announce for you," Psaki said.

02/02/22: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki youtu.be

Since Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer plans to retire later this year, Biden now has his first opportunity to nominate someone to the nation's high court.

Critics have taken issue with the president's decision to limit the field of candidates based on skin color and sex.

"Biden’s mistake: He should not be choosing a Supreme Court justice based on the color of their skin or sex, but rather on their qualifications & commitment to uphold our Constitution & the freedoms guaranteed to all Americans in that document which is the foundation of our nation," former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii tweeted.

During an interview on "The Vince Coglianese Show," former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson noted that "many people fought, gave their lives to bring equality. And now we're reverting back to identity politics. And as we continue to do that, we're bringing more division into our country."

Jen Psaki Responds To Suggestion Prioritizing Teacher Vaccinations Is ‘Anti-Equity Since Most Teachers Are White’

'Well, first, we simply disagree'