Karine Jean-Pierre may no longer be behind the White House press podium, but the scars she left in the minds of reporters are still fresh for them.
In the wake of new details about former President Joe Biden’s mental decline during his time in office, members of the White House press corps are coming forward describing the “abuse” they suffered at the hands of KJP and deputies in the Democrat’s communications team.
Many were shunned or sternly reprimanded for having the temerity to ask about Biden’s health, Fox News Senior White House Correspondent Jacqui Heinrich revealed on Thursday.
The cover-up is central to a new book called “Original Sin,” which shares for the first time stunning new revelations about how Biden’s staffers managed his mental and physical decline while pushing back on the notion that he shouldn’t seek reelection. Others in his inner circle, including wife Jill Biden and Dr. Kevin O’Connor, have been accused of “elder abuse” for claiming that Biden, at 82 and on the precipice of cancer, was fit for another four years in the Oval Office.
Heinrich was asked about her experience working with Biden’s press flaks while filling in on “America’s Newsroom” for co-host Dana Perino.
“Jacqui, when you are in the room asking the questions what kind of reception do you get from your colleagues? What happens afterwards with the staff of the White House? How does that work?” “America’s Newsroom” co-host Bill Hemmer asked Heinrich.
“Well, you know, for about three years they would go like this: They don’t want to be associated,” Heinrich said cryptically, causing Hemmer to ask who she was talking about.
“The rest of the press, because the White House was very effective in maligning anyone who was skeptical about the president’s age and abilities as a bad actor, as someone who is not a good journalist,” Heinrich said. “They abused us, too. I had people in the press office tell me I was not a good reporter because I was asking questions about these things with sourcing. It was the snap reaction a lot of the time rather than actually going to the people who I got the information from and having them confirm it. They would just like to shut down that discussion.”
Heinrich served as a White House correspondent for Fox News beginning in Aug. 2021, eventually rising to senior White House correspondent and engaging directly with KJP and her deputies from the briefing room, according to the Daily Caller.
Despite the sidelining, Heinrich often grilled KJP on some of the most sensitive elements of Biden’s presidency, including the allegation that President Donald Trump engaged in “Jim Crow”-style voter suppression in the 2020 election. When Biden was found to be using a cheat sheet at press conferences, she called him out, asking KJP if his questions were preplanned.
Shortly after the election, Heinrich asked the Biden spokeswoman if it was appropriate for the outgoing president to demagogue Trump after Biden had recently declared that “everything would be okay” with Trump in office again.
“Is the message to people who are fearful based on what the messaging was, about the stakes and…” Heinrich asked before being cut off.
“I do not appreciate having my words twisted,” KJP shot back. “I have been very, very, very clear about what the president wants to do, and the vice president, deliver for the American people. They deserve a peaceful transfer of power, and that’s what you’re gonna see.”
Visibly irritated, KJP gave a quick “thanks everybody,” and stormed out of the room.
