White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre got into a heated exchange on Wednesday after CBS News correspondent Ed O’Keefe pressed her on reports of classified documents that were found at the president’s former think tank office in Washington, D.C.
The exchange took place during Jean-Pierre’s daily briefing when O’Keefe asked the press secretary if she was aware of any conversations inside the White House regarding the documents after they were first discovered in early November.
“Look, I understand you guys are going to have a lot of questions on this. I get that,” Jean-Pierre said. “I know you guys are going to have a lot of questions on process and specifics. And what I can tell you is that I’m not going to go beyond what the president laid out. I’m not going to go beyond what my White House counsel colleagues have stated. I would refer you to them for any other specifics or additional information. I want to be prudent here. I want to make sure that we do this in the appropriate way.”
After WH Press Sec. Karine Jean-Pierre said she will not "go beyond what the President laid out" regarding the discovery of documents marked classified at a Biden think tank, CBS News' @edokeefe pressed ahead.
Watch the exchange. pic.twitter.com/fykCwlqkKS
— CBS News (@CBSNews) January 11, 2023
O’Keefe followed up, citing a comment President Joe Biden made in early 2021 vowing to “acknowledge” his mistakes and “correct them.”
“So, you’re the one here talking to us about this. That’s why we’re asking you. So, let’s just remember that,” O’Keefe said to Jean-Pierre.
“Ed, Ed, Ed, we don’t need to have this — we work very well together,” Jean-Pierre interjected. “We don’t need to have this kind of confrontation. Ask your question, and I will answer them the best that I can.”
“Part of the reason we’re laying that out is because you’re laying out your part of the job. We’re laying out our part of the job, which is asking questions,” O’Keefe replied.
“I know, but I’m just saying we don’t need to have contention. You don’t need to be contentious with me here, Ed,” Jean-Pierre said.
The exchange came after it was revealed that classified documents were found at the Penn Biden Center in November 2022 and handed over to the National Archives shortly after. It was later reported on Wednesday that Biden’s legal team found another batch of classified documents, prompting renewed scrutiny of the president.
The discovery of documents has prompted widespread criticism from Republicans, with House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) opening an investigation into the matter and sending a letter to the National Archives and White House Counsel’s Office requesting documents and communications.
“For months, NARA failed to disclose to Committee Republicans or the American public that President Biden — after serving as Vice President — stored highly classified documents in a closet at his personal office. NARA learned about these documents days before the 2022 midterm elections and did not alert the public that President Biden was potentially violating the law,” Comer wrote. “The Committee is concerned that President Biden has compromised sources and methods with his own mishandling of classified documents.”
The White House declined to comment on when Biden was briefed on the classified documents, but the president told reporters on Tuesday he was “surprised” about the discovery.
