White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre snapped at a reporter Friday who had asked her to say ‘once and for all’ that the cocaine found at the White House did not belong to a Biden family member.
Instead of giving a straight yes or no answer, she left the door cracked – instead calling the asking of the question ‘incredibly irresponsible.’
Jean-Pierre argued the question had been answered because she had told the press that the Biden family was at Camp David when the cocaine discovery was made.
‘You know, there has been some irresponsible reporting about the family and so I’ve got to call that out here,’ the press secretary said. ‘And I have been very clear.’
‘I was clear two days ago, when talking about this over and over again as I was being asked a question, as you know, and media outlets reported this – the Biden family was not here, they were not here, they were at Camp David,’ she continued. ‘They were not here Friday, they were not here Saturday, they were not here Sunday. They were not even here Monday. They came back here on Tuesday.’
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre snapped at a reporter Friday who had asked her to say ‘once and for all’ that the cocaine found at the White House did not belong to a Biden family member
Former President Donald Trump had floated that the cocaine belonged to President Joe Biden (left) and son Hunter (center), a recovering crack cocaine addict
There have been three White House locales where the cocaine was said to be found, with NBC reporting Thursday that the discovery was made in cubbies at the West Executive Entrance
‘So to ask that question is actually incredibly irresponsible, and I’ll just leave it there,’ she said.
She then slammed her briefing book off the podium.
President Biden had been at the White House Friday – delivering remarks after the Supreme Court ruled that his student loan forgiveness plan was unconstitutional.
Additionally, Hunter Biden was spotted leaving the White House with the president and first lady Jill Biden last Friday, as they departed for the Camp David trip.
Prior to Friday’s briefing, Jean-Pierre had answered questions about the cocaine discovery by telling reporters to reach out to the Secret Service, who are conducting an investigation.
As of Friday afternoon prior to the briefing, a spokesman for the Secret Service told DailyMail.com that the probe remained ‘open and active.’
When a question was posed to deputy press secretary Andrew Bates on board Air Force One Thursday, he brought up the Hatch Act.
Hunter Biden (center) walks with his father President Joe Biden (left) toward Marine One at Fort McNair in Washington on Friday, as they depart for a weekend away at Camp David. Karine Jean-Pierre falsely said the Bidens were not at the White House last Friday
New details reveal the cocaine at the White House was found near the White House’s West Executive entrance – above President Joe Biden walks with National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan across West Executive Avenue in October 2021 with the West Executive entrance to the White House visible behind them
Bates had been asked about former President Donald Trump claiming the drugs belonged to the president and his son Hunter, a recovering crack cocaine addict.
Jean-Pierre was asked Friday to explain Bates’ decision to reference the Hatch Act, instead of answer the claims directly.
‘He mentioned the Hatch Act because the question was posed to him using Donald Trump, and so he was trying to be very mindful,’ she answered. ‘And that’s why he said the Hatch Act.’
She told the reporter to read the transcript carefully.
‘So we’re not avoiding the question, that is not true. We have answered this question, we have litigated this question the last two days, exhaustively,’ she said.
Earlier in the briefing, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan was also asked about the cocaine – and whether there were any national security repercussions.
On Thursday, NBC News reported that the bag of powder was found near the White House’s West Executive entrance, not the formal West Wing lobby, as was previously said.
That entrance – which is in the West Wing but on the floor below the lobby – is also a heavily trafficked area, a description White House officials have used as a way to explain their doubts the culprit will be found.
It’s near the Situation Room.
Sullivan revealed that the coke’s proximity to the Situation Room wasn’t a problem, because the space hasn’t been in use.
‘I would make a point about the Situation Room because I think there’s been a lot questionable reporting on this. The Situation Room is not in use and has not been in use for months because it is currently under construction,’ Sullivan said.
‘We are using an alternative Situation Room in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, so the only people coming in and going out of the Sit Room in this period have been workers who are getting it ready to go,’ he added.
He said that the project is ‘on time and on schedule,’ then adding, ‘No, there was no issue with the Situation Room relative to this.’
Sullivan went further by noting that there are ‘rigorous drug testing policies at the White House.’
‘We have rigorous drug use policies at the White House. We take those extremely seriously,’ he continued.
‘If it involves someone from the White House the appropriate consequences will ensue. If it involves some visitor who came in and left it, then that’s a different matter, that raises a diffrent set of questions that are less relevant to my line of work,’ he said.
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