White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre once again came under fire for failing to do her job as she stumbled over a question about vaccinations and illegal immigrants crossing the border.
Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy confronted Jean-Pierre during a press briefing on Monday, asking her directly about the double standard in the Biden administration’s policy on unvaccinated travelers coming into the U.S. The press secretary initially attempted to dismiss Doocy’s comparison involving how unvaccinated migrants pour across the U.S. southern border illegally.
But Jean-Pierre sparked criticism and backlash online after sparring with the Fox News reporter and denying that anyone just “walks over” the border.
“How come migrants are allowed to come into this country unvaccinated, but world-class tennis players are not?” Doocy asked, referring to Novak Djokovic, the Serbian tennis star who has refused to take the COVID-19 vaccine.
The 35-year-old will not be able to participate in the U.S. Open because of this decision which prevents him from entering the U.S. due to the administration’s adherence to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidance on international travel.
Watch what happens when Peter Doocy asks Karine Jean-Pierre why illegal aliens are released into the country even if they don’t have the COVID vaccine, but Novak Djokovic isn’t allowed in for the U.S. Open: pic.twitter.com/Jdqmo0IpEN
— John Cooper (@thejcoop) August 29, 2022
Jean-Pierre initially responded to Doocy’s question by bringing up privacy, saying, “Due to privacy reasons, the U.S. government also does not comment on medical information of individual travelers.”
Referring the reporter to the CDC for its guidelines on the matter, the press secretary contended that it’s “two different things” that he was bringing up.
“But so how is it two different things? Somebody unvaccinated comes over on a plane. You say that’s not OK. Somebody walks into Texas or Arizona unvaccinated, they’re allowed to stay? Why?” Doocy asked.
“But that’s not how it works,” Jean-Pierre responded.
“That’s what’s happening,” Doocy shot back. “I know that’s not what you guys want to happen. But that is what is happening.”
“But that’s not, it’s not like somebody walks over and-” Jean-Pierre pushed back.
“That’s exactly what’s happening,” Doocy pressed.
“Thousands of people are walking in a day. Some of them turn themselves over,” he added. “Some of them are caught. Tens of thousands a week are not. That is what is happening.”
Bill Melugin backed up his Fox News colleague, tweeting in response to a video clip of the exchange: “That is exactly what is happening at the border.”
Colleague @pdoocy is 100% correct. That is exactly what is happening at the border.
Not sure how many more videos we have to show, multiple times a day, to get this point across. And that doesn’t even account for the more than half a million gotaways who slipped thru since 10/1. https://t.co/2f63fXQvzn— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) August 29, 2022
And Melugin had the receipts:
Cade and point 👇🏻
This happens EVERY single day, multiple times a day in Eagle Pass alone. One tiny spot on the border. Yes, they do just walk across by the hundreds. A large majority of them in Del Rio sector are then released. It is that simple.https://t.co/EgLbmVN1el— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) August 29, 2022
Others also jumped in on social media to call out Jean-Pierre for her misleading answers and failure – again – to do her job.
“Someone send Jean-Pierre some video of people literally walking over,” tweeted New York Post columnist Karol Markowicz.
“They can’t square this,” wrote The Spectator’s Stephen Miller.
Nate Madden, communications director for Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, asked, “Who you gonna believe, 18 months of footage or your lyin’ eyes?”
Trump 2020 press communications director Erin Perrine, and many others, also reacted on Twitter:
The idea that anyone from the Biden White House can say people are not walking over the southern border of the United States is either lying or ignorant.
Can we get a fact check on this one? Because today the White House just straight up lied. pic.twitter.com/6sYPCcIL1G
— Erin Perrine (@ErinMPerrine) August 29, 2022
Doocy sets the bar of standards high for journalistic integrity. The rest should try to hold their government accountable for their actions as he does, rather than work as propaganda agents.
— Brad Critch (@GerwynTiberius) August 29, 2022
She’s a disaster. The press should insist that she hand them her EFFING binder and leave the room.
— I’m am smarter then The Real Truther (@Stentor69) August 29, 2022
Unbelievable. What a mess this administration is.
— Zil Dam (@ZILDAMMI) August 29, 2022
She just Has No Clue
— TC (@tsea12) August 29, 2022
She knows she’s lying. Everyone else knows she’s lying. She knows that everyone else knows she’s lying. And yet decorum dictates that it not be said out loud and directly. Crazy and maddening.
— YosemiteBadAss (@YosemiteBadAss) August 29, 2022
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida. Powers also contributes to BizPac Review.
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