Jean-Pierre at Fauci's Last Briefing: Nothing on Biden's Granddaughter, 'I'm Done' on COVID Origins (November 22, 2022)

At Dr. Anthony Fauci’s last White House briefing, one reporter asked who was living in the White House. Others tried to ask Fauci what he had personally done to find out where COVID came from. Neither question got an answer.

“I don’t have any fur- — anything further to share on that,” press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said when asked about “the President’s granddaughter living here at the White House” [1].

The COVID question never reached Fauci. “Simon, I’m done. I’m done with you right now,” Jean-Pierre told a reporter who backed it up [1].

The video above shows the question about President Joe Biden’s granddaughter from the Nov. 22, 2022, briefing. Quotes are from the official transcript published by the American Presidency Project [1].

The question was specific. “On a separate topic, we’ve learned through recent reporting about the President’s granddaughter living here at the White House. I was wondering if you have any more details on whether she plans to continue to live here and whether any other family members or other people besides the President and the First Lady live at the White House,” the reporter asked [1].

Naomi Biden had married Peter Neal at the White House three days earlier, Fox News reported [2].

”On the Vogue Website”

At the end of the briefing, another reporter pressed on the wedding, which the White House had said would be closed to the media. “Yet I’m reading all about it and looking at pictures on the Vogue website. Can you just talk us through what happened there?” [1]

“Vogue did not attend the wedding. They were not there. So, what you’re reading is inaccurate,” Jean-Pierre said. “Vogue did a portrait shoot on Thursday afternoon, before the wedding, in the Green Room” [1].

The reporter was not satisfied. “But I think those of us might think that dressing up in a wedding dress, having a photoshoot, talking about the wedding is coverage of the wedding” [1].

“The wedding was private. It was a private family affair. There was no press access to the wedding. We were very clear about that. There is no — no reason to mince our words here,” Jean-Pierre said [1].

”What Did You Do to Personally Investigate?”

The briefing’s biggest moment came earlier, while Fauci was at the podium. “Dr. Fauci, what did you do to personally investigate the origins of COVID?” a reporter called out. Jean-Pierre called on someone else [1].

The question kept coming. “What have you personally done to investigate the origins of COVID?” one reporter asked. “That’s a major part of your legacy though, Dr. Fauci. Do you have an answer to that?” another said [1].

Fox News identified Daily Caller White House correspondent Diana Glebova as the reporter who tried to ask Fauci what he had done to investigate the origins of COVID-19 [3].

”Simon, I’m Done”

When the question came a fourth time, Jean-Pierre stopped the briefing. “Hold on one second. We have a process here. I’m not calling out on people who yell,” she said. “You’re being — you’re being disrespectful to your colleagues, and you’re being disrespectful to our guests. I will not call on you if you yell” [1].

Other reporters objected. “She’s asking a valid question, Dr. Fauci, on the origin of COVID-19,” one said. “You complete the press briefing, you need to call from people across the room. She has a valid question,” said another [1]. Fox News identified that reporter as Simon Ateba of Today News Africa [3].

“I hear your question, but we’re not doing this the way you want it,” Jean-Pierre said. Then: “I’m done. Simon, I’m done” [1].

”I Have Nothing to Hide”

Fauci did take one question about the incoming Republican House. “Dr. Fauci, related to that, how are you preparing for the likely aggressive oversight from House Republicans, the new majority, next year that they’ve been promising on some of these very questions?” a reporter asked [1].

Jean-Pierre tried to end his time. “So, thank you so much, Dr. Fauci,” she said. “I can answer his question,” Fauci said [1].

“The answer is: If there are oversight hearings, I absolutely will cooperate fully and testify before the Congress, if asked,” Fauci said. “We can defend and explain and stand by everything that we’ve said. So I have nothing to hide” [1].

”They Continue to Lie”

Critics were not convinced. “They continue to lie to the American people, and it’s putting the American people at risk,” Tulsi Gabbard said on “Tucker Carlson Tonight” in her first interview as a Fox News contributor, Fox News reported [4].

“People want humility in a doctor,” Fox News medical contributor Dr. Marty Makary said on “Fox & Friends.” “Sometimes the right answer is, ‘I don’t know’” [4].

”Almost a Celebration in the Rose Garden”

A reporter asked about the rail unions voting down Biden’s deal. “I think — just to drill down on this part of it, not to belabor the point — but there was almost a celebration in the Rose Garden two months ago with the President, with these labor leaders, with management. Is the President surprised to see that these — so many of these — obviously, not all of them, but 4 out of the 12 of these unions have actually rejected a deal which he tried to sell as a strong deal for labor, for these workers involved?” [1]

“So I want to be very clear here: The tentative agreement that we signed in September actually helped to prevent an immediate disruption to the economy,” Jean-Pierre said. “Look, we’re going to be very — we’re going to be steadfast in saying that all parties need to come together, they need to come together in good faith, and we have to prevent a rail shutdown.” [1]

“Will the Administration Appeal or Will It Not?”

Another reporter asked about the border. “There actually hasn’t been an official statement on whether or not the administration will appeal the December 21st court order that would lift Title 42. Will the administration appeal or will it not?” [1]

“Look, I’m not going to get into any specific legal — legal movements of what we’re going to be doing. That’s not something that I will do from here. I leave that in the hands of the Department of Justice,” Jean-Pierre said [1].

By the Numbers

4: times reporters asked Fauci what he had done to investigate COVID’s origins, per the transcript [1].
13 percent: adults with the updated booster, as a reporter put it at the briefing [1].
A few hundred: times Fauci said he had testified before Congress [1].
$10 billion: the COVID funding the White House had requested, per COVID coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha [1].
Jan. 1, 2014: the start of the period covered by Biden’s later pardon of Fauci [5].

What Happened Next

Biden pardoned him. In a clemency warrant dated Jan. 19, 2025, his last full day in office, Biden pardoned Fauci for any offenses “against the United States which he may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014, through the date of this pardon” [5].

“The issuance of these pardons should not be mistaken as an acknowledgment that any individual engaged in any wrongdoing,” Biden said [6].

Congress forced the rail deal. On Dec. 2, 2022, Biden signed Public Law 117-216, a joint resolution “to provide for a resolution with respect to the unresolved disputes between certain railroads represented by the National Carriers’ Conference Committee of the National Railway Labor Conference and certain of their employees.” [10] For the White House as Title 42 ended the next spring, see HYGO News’ page on May 8, 2023.

The White House changed its answer. Under President Donald Trump, the White House now says: “A lab-related incident involving gain-of-function research is the most likely origin of COVID-19.” It says the “Proximal Origin” paper “was prompted by Dr. Fauci to push the preferred narrative that COVID-19 originated naturally” [7].

The critics got top jobs. The Senate confirmed Gabbard as Trump’s director of national intelligence in a 52-48 vote on Feb. 12, 2025 [8]. Makary was confirmed to lead the Food and Drug Administration on March 25, 2025 [9].

For more of Jean-Pierre’s answers checked against the record, see the Karine Jean-Pierre record page.

”Anything Further to Share”