The Top White House Briefing Moments for 2022
2022 began in the White House Briefing Room. Jen Psaki started with more mountain-sized word and phrase salads, and then Karine Jean Pierre (former MoveOn.org spokesperson and MSNBC contributor) was hired in May. Jean Pierre made waves for her incredible ineptitude, and her use of her binder as a life raft.
Dozens upon dozens of NewsBusters blogs had been created on the topic. We were challenged to find 12 or more examples. But we did our best and sorted through the Doocy Times, Jacqui Times, and moments from other reporters.
Below, you’ll find our list, presented in chronological order with a link to its original NewsBusters blog (plus a bonus for worst day of softballs). Go here To see the best Doocy moments starting in 2021, click here here For the best tussles during the Psaki era.
1. February 11 — Jacqui Swagger: FNC’s Heinrich Battles Psaki, Sullivan Over Russian Invasion
Ahead of Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, Fox’s Jacqui Heinrich put on a clinic as she exposed Psaki and National Security Advisers Jake Sullivan over the pointless nature of threatening severe sanctions against Russia (instead of leveling them), waiting too long to arm Ukrainians, and how this marked yet another country where the U.S. asked Americans to flee.
Heinrich asked Psaki if he was interested in Heinrich’s thoughts. “[y]ou’re waiting for people to die before implementing” sanctions.
2. March 10 — News Team, Assemble! Doocy, Lawrence Bring Heat on Gas Prices, Inflation
Fox Business Network’s Edward Lawrence has become a frequent presence over the last two years in pressing the White House, so it was no surprise on this way when he battled Psaki over the fact that, as of then, gas prices have gone up every month since Biden took office and how they could still demand people move to pricy electric vehicles.
Doocy also fought Psaki over their foolish attempt to call the gas price spike the #PutinPriceHike. They had previously blamed the rise on the supply chain, and life restarting following the pandemic.
3. April 4 — Kaboom: Doocy Asks Psaki If the WH Supports Kindergartners Learning Sex Ed
As we wrote in our blog on the top moments of Psaki’s tenure, “Doocy put Psaki in the position of defending this newfound world of allowing biological men to compete in women’s sports as a way of ‘protect[ing] the dignity and identity of all Americans’” insisting that all those opposed to teaching sex early on in life are “propagating misinformed, hateful policies.”
4. June 1 — TRAINWRECK: WH Reporters Torch Jean-Pierre Over Baby Formula Crisis, Inflation
One of 2022’s Biden crises featured a dangerous and seemingly sudden shortage of baby formula and, thankfully, Doocy and the great Philip Wegmann of Real Clear Politics weren’t alone as colleagues from liberal outlets were rightfully outraged when Jean-Pierre fumbled her way through answers of nothingness.
Doocy had his questions about “who…in the West Wing…decided after six or eight weeks that this baby formula shortage was finally something that somebody should tell the President about” Wegmann is open to discussing more general questions “how serious does an issue have to be before” Biden’s informed, but they had help from the likes of CBS’s Ed O’Keefe and Kathryn Watson and NBC’s Kelly O’Donnell.
The even-keeled O’Keefe was incensed, demanding she explain why it took until June to have Biden invoke the Defense Production Act months after murmurs percolated supply could be an issue.
Along with Doocy, O’Donnell, and CNN’s MJ Lee, O’Keefe wasn’t done as he came back the next day Jean-Pierre was again hammered for another round of negotiating. He wanted a timeline that would show who knew what, when, and how this ineptitude could be exposed in a future crisis.
5. June 16 — Doocy WRECKS Paltry Jean-Pierre Over Gas Prices, WH Lies About Inflation
Doocy was ready to fight with Fox News White House correspondent, calling out that Biden had been falsely claiming. “inflation is worse everywhere but here.” Jean-Pierre tried to defend President Doocy, but Doocy responded with the truth: “U.S. has worse inflation than Germany, France, Japan, Canada, India, Italy, Saudi Arabia.”
Doocy later in the exchange wondered why Biden wanted more foreign oil, when he could request it. “oil companies…drill more here in the U.S.”
6. July 8 – Doocy Battles KJP as She Okays Hounding Kavanaugh in Public: Part of ‘Democracy’
Doocy and Jean-Pierre fought for Justice Brett Kavanaugh after months of protests outside their homes.
Doocy asked Doocy if Biden believes such behavior is acceptable. “appropriate,” but Jean-Pierre refused and even endorsed it so long as it’s “peaceful” because “this is what a democracy is.”
7. July 27 — BULLSEYE: Doocy Calls Out Biden WH Disinformation on Defining a Recession
By July, it became clear to many that the American Rescue Plan’s nearly $2 trillion price tag contributed to inflation and so Doocy arrived ready to grill Jean-Pierre. She took Doocy’s bait and insisting Biden “turned the economy back on” Create “a stronger labor market,” Doocy shot a bullet “If things are going so great, though, then why is it that White House officials are trying to redefine recession?”
Doocy peppered her with examples when she argued the U.S. wasn’t in a recession, even citing comments from National Economic Council director Brian Deese back in 2008. On this issue, even CNN’s Kaitlan Collins and The Washington Post’s Tyler Page weren’t buying the spin.
8. August 2 — WATCH: Doocy, Kirby Clash on Biden ‘Giving’ Afghanistan to ‘Terrorists’
Jean-Pierre often brought in cabinet secretaries, and other White House officials, to serve as her shield. In this instance, Doocy fought with John Kirby, National Security Council spokesperson, over the presence al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, as exhibited in the drone strike that killed Ayman alZawahiri.
Doocy said to him once that “[y]ou guys gave a whole country to a bunch of people that are on the FBI Most Wanted list” And was evidence “[t]he Taliban was harboring the world’s number one terrorist” Because he was able, before the strike, to “sit on a balcony” In a very posh part of Kabul.
9. August 25 — Checkmate: Jacqui Heinrich, Karine Jean-Pierre Spar Over Legality of Student Loan Bailout
One of Biden’s major midterms ploys was an executive order that, if upheld next year by the Supreme Court, would forgive millions in student loans for Americans making under $125,000 and, as such, the move drew widespread consternation with the Briefing Room being no exception.
Heinrich astutely called the administration out for using a law called the Heroes Act to justify the loan forgiveness under the guise of COVID-19 pandemic when they’re arguing Title 42 should be axed at the border because the pandemic is over.
CBS’s Christina Ruffini also had a hardball: “[I]f you don’t know how much it’s going to cost, how can you guarantee that it’s going to be paid for, even if you’re defining ‘paid for’ in a way that some of us have questions about?”
The New York Times’s Michael Shear wasn’t sold either as, on this issue, the White House seemed to have abandoned a major talking point from other initiatives they knew were “fully pad for” This was before there was a final price.
10. September 6 — HE WENT THERE: Doocy Torches KJP Over Tweets Saying 2016, 2018 Elections Were Stolen
Briefing observers waited several months for Jean-Pierre’s permission to ask the question. Finally, Doocy pulled the trigger. Doocy started by asking whether it’s important to say neither 2020 nor 2016 was stolen.
Jean-Pierre claimed she wouldn’t “go back to where we were…in 2016,” So Doocy wrote tweets alleging that Donald Trump had stolen the 2016 election, and that Brian Kemp of Georgia was the one who stole the 2018 gubernatorial elections. The premise was called by Doocy. “ridiculous” because her claims were more esoteric and she didn’t storm the Capitol like on January 6, 2021.
11. September 23 — Doocy EXPLODES After KJP Ducks His Abortion Question: ‘You Did NOT Answer My Question!’
Sometimes, the simplest questions lead to the most interesting exchanges. Doocy wanted Jean-Pierre’s help if Biden asked. “favor[s] any limits on abortion.” Jean-Pierre insisted the regime’s issue was with Senator Lindsey Graham’s abortion legislation that she deemed a “national ban” Doocy said that it was for a 15-week ban.
She added she wouldn’t “get into specifics,” However, Doocy was a success: “Why not get into specifics? The Republicans are saying we don’t want abortion after 15 weeks. Why can’t you say how many weeks the President thinks the limit is?”
Doocy continued to make fun of her attempts to maneuver her way out. “not answer[ing] my question, Karine.”
12. December 8 — Doocy Battles KJP Over Griner-Bout Swap, WH ‘Monitoring’ Musk’s Twitter (tweet thread only)
Jean-Pierre did not respond to simple questions after Doocy sent this mail from Doocy to Russia to ask for Brittney Griner’s release. “In this prisoner swap, why did Russia get such a better deal?”
Later in the exchange, Doocy highlighted Biden’s inconsistencies in negotiations for Griner versus Marine Paul Whelan, who’s also been jailed in Russia.
He tried unsuccessfully to get her to explain it on Twitter. “who is” It is possible to say she couldn’t “talk about communications between the Biden campaign and Twitter” A Twitter Files revealed that the two have a close relationship in 2020, revealing this.
Bonus: May 16 – Weekdays With Karine Feature Gooey Intros, Leftist Demands to Attack Carlson, Stefanik
In this bonus pick, we made sure to include the worst moment as Jean-Pierre’s first day on the job featured eye-rolling platitudes and welcomes, including Associated Press reporter Zeke Miller wondering whether she’d put “truth, honesty, and transparency” The center of briefings. Later, TheGrio’s April Ryan gushed she was “making history on so many levels” Many people are “so proud of you.”
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