Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, September 28, 2022
James S. Brady Press Briefing Room 1:53 P.M. EDTMS. JEAN-PIERRE: Good afternoon, everybody.Q Good afternoon.MS. JEAN-PIERRE:
www.whitehouse.gov
Q What happened in the hunger event today? The President appeared to look around the room for an audience member, a member of Congress who passed away last month. He seemed to indicate she might be in the room. What happened there?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So the President was, as you all know — you guys were watching today’s event, a very important event on food insecurity. The President was naming the congressional champions on this issue and was acknowledging her incredible work. He had — he had already planned to welcome the congresswoman’s family to the White House on Friday. There will be a bill signing in her honor this coming Friday.
So, of course, she was on his mind. She was of top of mind for the President. He looks — very much looks forward to discussing her remarkable legacy of public service with them when he sees her family this coming Friday.
Q He said, “Jackie, are you here? Where’s Jackie? She must not be here.”
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No, I totally understand. I just — I just explained she was on top of mind. You know, this wasn’t — what we were able to witness today and what the President was able to lift up in this — at this conference at this event was how her — her focus on wanting to deal with, combat food — food insecurity in America. And this is something that he was lifting up and honoring.
And, again, he knows that he’s going to see her family this coming Friday. There’s a bill signing that’s going to happen in renaming a VA clinic in Indiana after the late congresswoman. He knows that he is going to see her family, and she was at top of mind.
Q And just one more quick follow-up, because I’m trying to get my head around the response. If the late congresswoman was top of mind for the President and her family was expected to be here and that’s what he was thinking about, what — why was he looking for her? I’m not trying to be snarky here. But I —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No, I mean — and I’m —
Q I don’t understand the connection between what you’re saying and what he said there.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: And, again, I think people can understand, I think the American people out there who, you know, watch the briefing from time to time, maybe at this moment, will understand when someone is at top of mind. And — and this was such an important — such an important event, when we’re talking about hunger, when we’re talking about food insecurity, when we’re talking about these champions, these congressional champions who were in the room, who have worked in a bipartisan way.
You know, we don’t talk much about bipartisan actions that we see in Congress at this time. And as he was naming folks, he — she was on top of mind, and he understands and knew that she was — he was going to see her family on Friday for this bill signing.
Again, I don’t think it’s all that unusual to have someone top of mind, especially as there’s a big event — two big events — today and also Friday — that is going to occur. And so he’s going to see her family. They’re going to honor her. They’re going to celebrate her. And he will do a bill signing for this really critical — let’s not forget — this critical, important issue for millions and millions of Americans across the country.
Q I’m sorry to have to do this, but I’m compelled to ask you to go one more time back to the question about Congresswoman Walorski.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I’m not sure why. Why? Why one more time?
Q Well, because I think — frankly, honestly, I think the memory of the congresswoman in history requires some clarity here.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Hmmm —
Q Can you explain where the mistake was made? Did the Pres- — was the President confused? Was something written in the teleprompter that he didn’t recognize? Can you just help us understand what happened?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, you’re jumping to a lot of conclusions.
Q No, I’m simply seeing — seeking to find —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No, but you’re — but I —
Q — out what happened here.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No, I hear you, Steven. I’m — I’m answering the question, that you’re jumping to a lot of conclusions.
I just answered the question. If I had said — if that had been the case, I would have stated that. Right? I clearly have stated what you just laid out.
What I had said is that she was on top of mind and that he is going to see her family in just two days’ time, on Friday, to honor her, to honor her work, to honor — to honor her legacy, if you will. I just mentioned this. It’s going to be a renaming of a VA clinic in Indiana in her name. And, you know, that is — that is what he was thinking of.
He was thinking about her as he was — as he was naming out and calling out the congressional champions on this issue — on this really critical issue that’s going to help millions of Americans. And that is — that is — that is what the President was focused on.
Q Would you be prepared to release the prepared remarks that the President had in the teleprompter just so we could understand?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I’m not understanding why — why that would be — would be necessary. We always share the remarks that the President had — even, you know, delivered. That’s probably going to be up on the website. Not really sure what that has to do with anything.
I just answered the question about her being on top of mind. I don’t think that’s any — that’s unusual. I feel like many of us have gone through that particular, you know, time where someone is on top of mind and you call them out and you mention them. Especially in this — this type of context, if you think about how he’s going to the see the family in two days; if you think about how, when he sees them in two days, it’s going to be for such an important moment, assigning — signing a piece of legislation that’s going to rename a VA clinic in her state — that’s important — if you think about this issue and how important this issue is.
And he was, again, calling out congressional champions for this particular issue.
Q All right. Let me ask you about something else.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Oh, sure.
Q The President’s schedule tonight —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q — has him attending a political fundraiser while the storm is hitting the state of Florida. Is it still his intent to go to the fundraiser, or will he stay here at the White House and monitor developments?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, we don’t have anything to — any changes in his schedule. He has been really steadfast and very clear and has spoken multiple times on what is happening in Florida and what we are seeing with Hurricane Ian and other hurricanes right before those — Hurricane Fiona as well, as you all know.
And so his administration is on top of this. He, again, signed the declaration for Florida, even before landfall — right? — the moment that the governor asked for assistance from us. Within hours, the President signed that declaration.
You can see how focused he is on it. You can see how important of an issue this is. And sadly, this is not the first extreme weather scenario that we have had to deal with under this administration for the last 19 months.
And you have seen — and I think you would agree, Steve — and you have seen this administration respond with efficiency, respond with the full force of resources, and — and certainly take this incredibly seriously.
Q Lastly, I just wanted to return to this question of the congresswoman. And I think we all totally get why she’s top of mind. You’ve made that case pretty effectively.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, thank you.
Q But I think the confusing part is why, if she and the family is top of mind, does the President think that she’s living and in the room?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I don’t find that confusing. I mean, I think many people can speak to sometimes when you have someone top of mind, they are top of mind. Exactly that. And it is also — if you put it into the context, it’s not like it happened without — outside of context, right?
It happened at an event where we were cha- — we were calling out the champions — congressional champions, in particular, of this issue — this important issue, when it comes to food insecurity, something that this administration has led on — led on from the beginning of this administration, not just across the country but also globally.
You heard him talk about food insecurity last week at the U.N. and the investments that we have put forward as — as the — as the United States of America and helping — and helping deal with that.
Look, he was at an event — you all saw, you all watched, which is why you’re asking the question — right? — where he was calling out, again, congressional leaders — a bipartisan leadership that we have seen on this particular issue.
And, again, he’s going to see her family in just two days, and she was on top of mind. I mean, I don’t — that is — I mean, that is — that is not an unusual — unusual scenario there.
Q Karine, I have John Lennon top of mind just about every day, but I’m not looking around for him anywhere.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: When you sign a bill for John Lennon — Lennon as president then we can have this conversation.
Okay —
Q Why doesn’t he just apologize?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: — go ahead. Go ahead.
(Cross-talk by reporters.)
Q Thanks, Karine. There are —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead.
Q These moments of confusion are happening with increasing frequency.
Q Why not just apologize?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead.
Q Excuse me. There are reports that —
Q Americans are watching this and are having concerns. What do you say to that?
Q There are reports that Treasury Secretary Yellen —
Q What do you say to that?
Q — is looking to leave the administration —
Q This is a legitimate question. We need to have some answers.
Q — at the end of year. What can you tell us about that?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I’m sorry, somebody was yelling over you, so —
Q No, we were asking about the mental acuity —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead.
Q — of the President.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead.
Q I said there are reports that —
Q This is a valid question.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead.
Q — Treasury Secretary Yellen is looking to leave Secretary Yellen is looking to leave the administration —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: It is not your turn to speak, and you’re being rude to your colleagues, and let your colleague answer the question.
Q You might be being rude to us by —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead. Go ahead.
Q There are reports that —
Q — not answering the question.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No. I — you’re yelling and — over your colleague. So that is incredibly rude.
Q Can we have an answer to the substantive question here?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead. Go ahead.
Q We’re just trying to get an answer, Karine. “Top of mind” is not an answer.
Q Okay then, just to try one more time: Does the President believe that in his reference to the late Representative Jackie Walorski — who, you have said from the podium numerous times, he respects the work that she has done, he’ll be meeting with her family to honor her work — does he believe he handled that reference appropriately? Or is this something that he would like to get back?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Get what? Like, to get back what?
Q When he said, “Where is Jackie?”
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, I know this is a question that many of you have had. I’ve answered it multiple times already in this room. And my answer is certainly not going to change.
All of you may have views on — on how I’m answering it, but I am answering the question to the way that he saw it and the way that we see it.
We have to remember as well, is that, you know, this was an important event today. This was an event about food security. This was a be- — event about how we’re going to take the steps to get to eradicate hunger by 2030. And that is something that the President takes very personally. That is something that the — we wouldn’t be doing this event that has not happened since President Nixon — right? — that was 50 years ago that an event like this occurred at the White House.
So, clearly, this is something that is important. Clearly, this is something that he really honors, both Republican and Democratic congressional champions, when it comes to this issue.
Again, she was at the top of mind. He is going to be seeing her family in two days to honor her, to honor the work that she has done. And — and, you know, this was a remarkable legacy that she had, and we should be honoring that.
I’m going to go to the back. Go ahead. Go ahead, all the way in the back.
IDIOTS ARE RUNNING THE COUNTRY!!!
