'Is He Just Randomly Making Stuff Up?' Kirby on Biden's Ground Zero Story, and Jean-Pierre Calls No Evidence 'Actually a Fact' (September 13, 2023)

After House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced an impeachment inquiry, a reporter asked the White House a blunt question about President Joe Biden’s stories. “John, in the past couple of weeks, the President has lied about being at Ground Zero the day after the September 11th attacks, falsely claimed he saw the Pittsburgh bridge collapse, claimed his grandfather died in the hospital days before his birth. What is going on with the President? Is he just believing things that didn’t happen did happen, or is he just randomly making stuff up?” [1]

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby answered with the 9/11 trip. “The President was deeply touched and honored to be able to spend 9/11 with the military members there in Alaska and some families,” he said. “And he spoke about a visit to Ground Zero, which he did participate in about a week or so after the — the event” [1].

The video above shows that exchange from the Sept. 13, 2023, briefing. Quotes are from the official transcript published by the American Presidency Project [1].

”I Remember Standing There the Next Day”

Two days earlier in Anchorage, Biden had not said “a week or so.” He said: “Ground Zero in New York, and I remember standing there the next day and looking at the building” [2].

“This claim is false,” Check Your Fact found [3]. When Fox News asked, the White House “pointed to Biden’s visit to Ground Zero on September 20, 2001,” Fox reported [6]. For that trip, see HYGO News’ page on the Hanoi news conference and 9/11 in Alaska.

On the Pittsburgh bridge, Biden’s own account from October 2022 was different. “Before I left Washington, I got word about what happened earlier in that day,” he said then [4]. For that speech, see the page on the Pittsburgh trip.

”That’s Actually a Fact”

Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre took the impeachment questions. “Will the President cooperate fully now that Speaker McCarthy has pulled the trigger on an impeachment inquiry?” a reporter asked. “I’m certainly not going to — going to speculate on — on what has been a baseless inquiry,” she said [1].

Another reporter noted that she had “suggested that there’s no evidence to back up the Republicans’ effort.” “Which is true,” Jean-Pierre said. “I’m not suggesting it. That’s actually a fact” [1].

”Is Lying to the Public Wrong?”

Jean-Pierre said Republicans “have spent all year investigating the President” and “have turned up with no evidence — none.” A reporter called out: “Is lying to the public wrong?” [1]

“House Republicans have said that, to my friend in the back who just yelled out, which is incredibly inappropriate,” Jean-Pierre said. The reporter pressed: “Do you dispute that he lied?” [1]

She blamed two Republicans for the inquiry. “The only reason Speaker McCarthy is doing this — is doing this political stunt — and we have seen it; you all have reported — is because Majorie — Majorie [Marjorie] Taylor Greene has said she threatened to shut down the government,” Jean-Pierre said. “And you have — Matt Gaetz as well threatened to oust him as Speaker if he didn’t do it” [1].

”Illegitimate”

“Does the White House view this impeachment inquiry as legitimate, given that there has not been a vote to open it?” a reporter asked. “Republicans have been — made it pretty clear just how illegitimate this is,” Jean-Pierre said [1].

”Have a Great Day, Guys”

The last question went unanswered. “Can you explain why the President interacted with so many of his son’s foreign business associates?” a reporter asked. “Have a great day, guys. Thank you so much,” Jean-Pierre said [1].

The reporter was New York Post correspondent Steven Nelson, Fox News reported. “Jean-Pierre declined to answer and instead left the podium” [5].

By the Numbers

9 days: the gap between 9/11 and the Sept. 20, 2001, Ground Zero visit the White House cited [6].
221-212: the House vote formalizing the impeachment inquiry, Dec. 13, 2023 [7].
0: House Democrats who voted for it [7].
292: pages in the committees’ final impeachment report [8].

What Happened Next

The House voted after all. On Dec. 13, 2023, the House passed H. Res. 918, “Directing certain committees to continue their ongoing investigations as part of the existing House of Representatives inquiry into whether sufficient grounds exist for the House of Representatives to exercise its Constitutional power to impeach Joseph Biden.” It passed 221-212. All 221 Republicans voted yes, and 212 Democrats voted no [7].

The committees reported. In August 2024, “President Biden engaged in ‘impeachable conduct,’ House Republicans found in their months-long impeachment inquiry, declaring in their highly anticipated report that he ‘abused his office’ and ‘defrauded the United States to enrich his family,’” Fox News reported [8].

For how Biden later handled his son’s case, see HYGO News’ page on the Camp David news conference. For Kirby’s answers on the Iran deal at the same briefing, see the page on the $6 billion, and for more of Jean-Pierre’s answers checked against the record, the Karine Jean-Pierre record page.