On 1/13/2023, White House reporters continued to grilled Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre about the classified documents found in Joe Biden’s garage. It was revealed this week that Joe Biden improperly stored classified documents in his garage next to his Corvette.
A reporter asked Jean-Pierre, “I just want to press you on that point about the idea of disclosures when it’s appropriate. You describe a process, but it sort of feels like a strategy — a communication strategy to protect the President from political damage. Was it the hope and expectation here that this would have remained a private matter and not have been subject to public disclosure?”
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, Steven, that’s your version of the case. I’ve been very clear here, and I’ve answered that question multiple times in different versions — right? — in the last couple of days. Look, I want to be very clear …
Reporter: We have done both. But let me just ask you, because oftentimes in the careers of White House Press Secretaries, there becomes — there comes a time where they are asked, you know, what they knew and when they knew it. Were you or any member of your staff involved in the crafting of the strategy as to when this disclosure should be made in advance of CBS News breaking the story on Monday evening?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No.
Reporter: The President has said he hopes to speak about this soon. When can people expect to hear from him about this?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Don’t have — again, that’s a — that is — that is something that I can’t — I don’t have a magic wand here. I don’t know when that’s going to happen.
What I can say is: His team is going to fully cooperate with the Department of Justice.
Reporter: Does the White House and does the President agree to fully cooperate with the special counsel investigation?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We have said that we are going to continue to — continue to fully cop- — cooperate. We have been. The President’s lawyers and team has been fully cooperating with the Department of Justice. And we’re certainly — they’re certainly going to do that with the special counsel.
Reporter: And so, by that reasoning, would the President agree to sit for an on-the-record, in-person interview with the special counsel or (inaudible)?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I’m just not — I’m not going to get into specifics or get ahead of what’s going to happen. I’m not going to get into hypotheticals, because that is a hypothetical. What I will say is: We have addressed this multiple times at length.
Reporter: And let me just ask you a big-picture question here: Does the White House, broadly speaking, have an obligation to share not just with the National Archives, but with the American people when the existence of classified information is found in a private location?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Again, there is a process in this.
Reporter: But just big picture. Not necessarily in —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We —
Reporter: — this instance. But is it the policy of the White House that they should share that information not just with the National Archives, but with the American people?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So I’ll say this, Kristen: We have been transparent in the last couple of days in .. what the — the — the actions that we took were right — right actions that his team took in deal — in — in dealing with the Department of Justice and also the Archives. Look, I have —
Reporter: But just to be clear —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I have —
Reporter: — you guys have answered question when the press has broken in the news —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Because it’s an ongoing process.
Reporter: — (inaudible).
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Because, again, it is an ongoing process. There is a process here. The Department of Justice is independent. We respect that process. But, again, I have taken questions. I can take two — two questions to a hundred questions. I have answered your questions as — almost every day on this issue.
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Hiding Info communication strategy: protect Biden from political damage; No magic wand, not even answer big picture