I have said many times that Karine Jean-Pierre is terrible at gaslighting. She just doesn’t have the verbal or mental dexterity to come up with convincing lies.
Generally, the only thing she is skilled enough to do is read from a binder, and she doesn’t even do that well. She has literally gone to the wrong page and read an answer to a question that wasn’t asked. That is ridiculously unskilled.
But perhaps she is acquiring a new skill that might serve her well in the coming months: stonewalling.
KJP has been facing a flurry of questions about the drip-drip-drip classified documents scandal, and she is perfecting her skills of not answering a single question.
NBC’s @PeterAlexander: “Did anyone at the WH tell the National Archives at any point not to issue a press release about the discovery of classified documents?”
KJP: “I would–I would really you to the WH counsel’s office, who is [sic] been running this process.” pic.twitter.com/mLh1v6VIYp
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) February 1, 2023
“Go ask somebody else” is a pretty good answer if you don’t want to have the question answered at all. Because the White House Counsel isn’t talking much.
AP’s @SeungMinKim to KJP: “I’m wondering how the WH can claim…they are being transparent when the FBI search of…Penn Biden Center….that happened months ago was not…disclosed to the public? And what should [they] take away from the fact that you are” withholding info? pic.twitter.com/55q06biIsh
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) February 1, 2023
KJP is getting very good at deflection, which didn’t use to be in her repertoire, largely because nothing at all was. Failing at repeating canned answers seemed to be her only communication mode, but she has been getting enough practice at saying “don’t ask me” that it now flows smoothly from her lips.
Frankly, this is an improvement.
By far her best moment in today’s press conference was her perfect non-answer to the question of how many classified documents have been found so far. It really was a masterpiece that encapsulates the entire White House approach to handling the crisis.
Reuters’s @TrevorNews Hunnicutt: “What is the current number of documents bearing classified markings…found in [Biden’s] residences & offices?”
KJP: “I would refer you to the WH counsel’s office.”
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Hunnicutt: “Ian just declined to comment.”
KJP: “Well, there you go.” pic.twitter.com/m2tytZrqIM
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) February 1, 2023
What is perfect is the nonchalance of the “screw you” the White House is giving to the American public–because make no mistake, it is the American public from whom they are hiding the evidence.
“Well there you go”–you will get nothing from us, the most transparent administration in US history.
WATCH:
White House Counsel’s Office spokesman Ian Sams took questions about the classified documents scandal on the White House lawn today.
He didn’t give any answers—but really wants you to know that Biden is being “cooperative.”
Via @thaleigha_ pic.twitter.com/uOQ9UPXOEo
— Washington Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) February 1, 2023
Why are they stonewalling, besides the obvious embarrassment?
Simple: this is a serious legal problem. Joe Biden broke the law, obviously. Not necessarily with nefarious intent, but nefarious intent is not an issue with the laws in question. Negligence is enough to get convicted.
Do I believe for a second that Biden will get prosecuted for breaking the law? Of course not. He is the President of the United States, and only Republican presidents are ever held to the letter of the law. But with all the lawyers involved, they need to be very careful not to dig the hole any deeper.
In my own view, intent probably does matter in these cases. Unlike most people in the universe, presidents and VPs handle classified documents every day and probably get jaded about their significance. I wasn’t freaked out about Trump’s having classified documents, and am not freaked out by Biden’s either unless Hunter used them for his shady deals.
Which is possible, of course. These guys are slimeballs.
