Kirby Walks Away, Won’t Comment on Biden Bribery Allegation; Countries Moving Away From U.S. Dollar

On May 4, 2023, the White House press briefing covered several major topics: NSC spokesman John Kirby refused to address allegations of a bribery scheme involving then-Vice President Biden and a foreign national before walking out of the briefing room, Kirby had no answer about countries moving away from the U.S. dollar, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre would not say whether Biden had read the report from his own Supreme Court commission, Jean-Pierre could not explain why Biden skipped joint press conferences with certain world leaders, and she insisted the administration was taking the border crisis seriously despite an expected surge ahead of the Title 42 expiration.

Kirby Refuses to Comment on Biden Bribery Allegation

The most dramatic moment of the briefing came when a reporter asked John Kirby about the House Oversight Committee’s subpoena seeking an FBI document from 2020. Senator Chuck Grassley and Committee Chairman James Comer had sent letters to the FBI calling for the production of an unclassified record describing an alleged criminal scheme involving then-Vice President Biden and a foreign national.

The reporter laid out the allegation directly: “I’ve got a question about House Oversight Committee’s PINA that was issued yesterday. It’s seeking an FBI document from 2020 that, quote, describes an alleged criminal scheme involving then Vice President Biden and a foreign national relating to the exchange of money for policy decisions. What’s the White House’s response to this serious corruption allegation?”

Kirby refused to engage: “I’m going to have to refer you to the Justice Department on that. I have nothing for you on that today.”

The reporter pressed further: “No, do you know what this is, what country this pertains to, or what policy decision?”

Kirby shut down the line of questioning and physically left the briefing room: “I have nothing for you, sir. I’m going to have to refer you to the Justice Department, and I’m getting the hook. See you. Thank you.”

The abrupt departure was notable because Kirby walked away from the podium rather than continuing to field questions from other reporters, giving the impression that the bribery allegation question had prompted his exit. Comer had stated: “The information provided by a whistleblower raises concerns that then-Vice President Biden allegedly engaged in a bribery scheme with a foreign national. The American people need to know if President Biden sold out the United States of America to make money for himself.”

Countries Moving Away From the U.S. Dollar

Before his departure, Kirby was also asked about the growing trend of countries moving away from the U.S. dollar for international trade. A reporter noted that Japan held $1.2 trillion in U.S. debt and asked whether the administration was concerned about de-dollarization.

The reporter asked: “A growing number of countries seem to be moving away from the use of the dollar. Is there an understanding of this, of a concern for that? As the World Reserve currency is really a big part of why the U.S. is able to exert its leadership. Is there an understanding of the fact that countries are beginning to turn away from the use of the dollar and some way to resolve that?”

Kirby’s answer was remarkably candid in its admission of ignorance: “I have to let Japan speak to their economic policy.” When pressed about the broader trend of multiple countries denominating away from the dollar, Kirby said: “I’m going to have to take your question, sir. I don’t have a good answer for you.”

The admission that the National Security Council spokesman had no prepared answer on de-dollarization, a major geopolitical and economic trend, drew criticism from those who argued the issue had significant national security implications.

Jean-Pierre on Biden’s Supreme Court Commission

During Jean-Pierre’s portion of the briefing, a reporter asked about the report from Biden’s own Commission on the Supreme Court, which had recommended a code of conduct that would bring the court in line with lower federal courts.

Jean-Pierre responded with her standard deflection: “The Senate is currently moving forward with a process. We’re going to leave it to the Senate for now.”

When the reporter followed up by asking directly whether Biden had read the report from his own commission, Jean-Pierre said: “The President has seen the report. We have said many times before. He appreciated the bipartisan commission that came together and put the report together.”

The distinction between “has seen the report” and whether Biden had actually read it was noted by observers as a carefully worded non-answer. Jean-Pierre then redirected to Senate proceedings: “As it relates to this moment in time, the Senate clearly is taking some sort of action. They’re going through their process, and we’re just going to leave it.”

Why Does Biden Skip Press Conferences With World Leaders?

A reporter raised the pattern of Biden not holding joint press conferences with visiting foreign leaders, noting that the leaders of the Philippines, Ireland, and Brazil had all visited the White House without a joint press conference.

The reporter asked: “What is the threshold for which leaders get a joint press conference and which ones don’t?”

Jean-Pierre pointed to a recent exception: “We had a joint press conference just recently, just last week, with the South Korean President. As you know, we’ve been, I’m sure you probably listened in on it, which happened, I think, about a week ago.”

She then offered a vague explanation for the variation: “Every conversation is different. It is a diplomatic conversation that occurs when we talk about what they’re going to be doing here at the White House. I just don’t have anything more to share on that.”

The answer did not explain the actual criteria for deciding which world leaders receive the diplomatic honor of a joint press conference and which do not, leaving the impression that the decisions were made based on the White House’s comfort level with unscripted interactions.

Border Crisis Ahead of Title 42 Expiration

With Title 42, the pandemic-era border policy, set to expire on May 11, Jean-Pierre faced questions about the administration’s preparedness for an expected surge in border crossings. Reports indicated that 700,000 to one million migrants had assembled near the border.

A reporter asked: “Massive strain at border facilities, especially in the Rio Grande Valley and, you know, title 4-2 is ending next week. How confident is the President that the fixes that he’s put in place are going to hold, given that we’re already seeing, you know, strains in the system?”

Jean-Pierre fell back on familiar talking points: “I think that the President has been taking very seriously from the beginning of his administration, and we have asked Congress to take action.” She referenced Biden’s comprehensive immigration legislation proposed on his first day and noted that Secretary Mayorkas would hold a press conference the following day on a “multi-agency comprehensive response.”

She then offered a notable admission: “Look, I can’t say what it’s going to look like after May 11th, but what I can say is that this is an administration that has taken the challenges that we see at the border very seriously since day one.”

Additional Context

The May 4, 2023 briefing captured the Biden White House under pressure on multiple fronts simultaneously. The House Oversight Committee’s investigation into the Biden family’s financial dealings was intensifying, with the FBI document subpoena representing a significant escalation. The de-dollarization trend was accelerating as countries including China, Brazil, and Saudi Arabia explored alternatives to dollar-denominated trade. And the Title 42 expiration loomed as the most immediate crisis, with officials unable to predict the magnitude of the expected border surge.

Kirby’s decision to walk out of the briefing rather than continue fielding questions after the bribery allegation was the most visually striking moment, as it suggested the White House had no prepared response to the Oversight Committee’s specific claims about an FBI document describing a criminal scheme.

Key Takeaways

• NSC spokesman John Kirby refused to address allegations of a Biden bribery scheme involving a foreign national, said he had “nothing for you,” and physically walked out of the briefing room rather than continuing to take questions.
• Kirby admitted he had no answer about the trend of countries moving away from the U.S. dollar, telling a reporter: “I don’t have a good answer for you.”
• Jean-Pierre would not say whether Biden had actually read the report from his own Supreme Court commission, saying only that he had “seen” it.
• Jean-Pierre could not explain the criteria for which foreign leaders receive joint press conferences with Biden, noting only that “every conversation is different.”
• On the border, Jean-Pierre admitted “I can’t say what it’s going to look like after May 11th” when Title 42 expired, while insisting the administration had taken the issue “very seriously since day one.”