Will the real White House Press Secretary please stand up?
Biden press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby are reportedly at odds behind the scenes over the division of responsibilities for regular press conferences.
Mr. Kirby, a former top spokesperson for the Pentagon and State Department, has appeared on the podium increasingly frequently since the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel. He is also a favorite of the president, and Mr. Kirby often asks him to explain things to him personally. According to Axios.
Despite his prominence as the Kirby administration's de facto foreign policy spokesperson, Mr. Kirby's presence in the briefing room was strictly controlled by Mr. Jean-Pierre, who allowed reporters to ask questions of Mr. Kirby. I am choosing.
The press secretary did nothing of the sort when Mr. Kirby's nominal boss, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, was present at the briefing, and Mr. Kirby expressed dissatisfaction with the situation. It is worth noting that this has happened.
“This is not my briefing room,” Kirby, 60, a retired Navy rear admiral, recently fumed at someone who asked him how he was enjoying his position in the White House, sources said. told the Post.
The awkwardness dates back to Jen Psaki's resignation as White House press secretary in May 2022, two weeks before Kirby arrived from the Pentagon.
According to Axios, President Biden formally offered Jean-Pierre the role as Psaki's successor, but Jean-Pierre muddied the waters by adding that he intended to work with Kirby, he told colleagues at the time. .
Since then, some black administration members have suggested to the media that the arrangement is an insult to Jean-Pierre, as the first-ever African-American press secretary has signaled the need for oversight. did.
Meanwhile, Mr. Kirby has reportedly told people he would like to become press secretary one day, but a person familiar with the matter told The Post Friday that Mr. Kirby never volunteered that ambition. Jean-Pierre says he intends to stay in office at least through this year's election and claims Biden has asked him not to resign.
In a sign of Kirby's rising star, he reportedly began accompanying the president on Air Force One on domestic trips as well as overseas visits, at the request of White House senior adviser Anita Dunn.
The only time the two had a conflict over this arrangement was in September 2022, when Kirby I brushed it off firmly A question from Today News Africa reporter and occasional press room incompetent Simon Ateba was about whether he was a “second press secretary” who essentially had the same job as Jean-Pierre. was the question.
“If someone has an idea in their head, [I’m] It would be a real shame to take away Karine and her job. And I'm very sorry that that's the impression that anyone would have,” Kirby said at the time.
“I can come here from time to time and talk to you guys about national security issues. That's my portfolio. That's my limit. That's where I plan to stay,” he added. , stated that he had been invited and approved by Jean-Pierre to attend the press conference.
Ateba has not been called for questions since.
Mr. Kirby has been by Mr. Jean-Pierre's side at more than 30 press conferences since the outbreak of war in the Middle East, but the press secretary has only appeared alone once.
Complicating matters is Mr. Jean-Pierre's history of needlessly causing headaches for the White House.
The special counsel's office said in June that Jean-Pierre's repeated use of the term “mega MAGA Republican” in the run-up to the 2022 midterm elections violated the Hatch Act, which restricts federal employees from engaging in political activities. I decided that it was the case. It could affect the election.
But authorities refused to take any further action, saying only that White House lawyers disagreed that her comments were prohibited under the law.
Jean-Pierre also responded to a question about the rise of anti-Semitism in the United States during an Oct. 23 press conference, claiming the White House did not see a “credible threat” to the Jewish community and addressing the issue. Even when he started talking about it, he received harsh criticism. Hate crimes against Muslims and Arab Americans.
Jean-Pierre later said: fox news digital She claimed she had misheard the question and specifically condemned the “disturbing rise in anti-Semitic rhetoric, conspiracy theories and hate crimes in our country,” calling it a “growing threat.”
A White House official who works closely with both Mr. Jean-Pierre and Mr. Kirby told the Post there is no sign of a rift between the two.
“As someone who has spent more time behind closed doors with these two than anyone else, I am completely unconvinced by this portrayal of their relationship,” the source said. “The truth is just the opposite. They talk all the time and have a collegial and supportive relationship.”
