White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre scrambled to defend President Joe Biden’s gaffe Wednesday where he appeared to search for a deceased congresswoman in a crowd.
The president appeared to call for Republican Indiana Rep. Jackie Walorski to stand up for acknowledgement at a White House conference on nutrition and health Wednesday, seemingly forgetting the congresswoman died in a car crash in August. ABC News reporter Cecilia Vega questioned Jean-Pierre on why he made this mistake during Wednesday’s press briefing.
“The president was, as you all know, you guys were watching today’s event — a very important event on food insecurity,” Jean-Pierre said. “The president was naming congressional champions on this issue and was acknowledging her incredible work. He had already planned to welcome the congresswoman’s family to the White House on Friday. There will be a bill-signing in her honor this coming Friday, so of course she was on his mind. She was on top of mind for the president. He very much looks forward to discussing her remarkable legacy of public service with them when he sees her family this coming Friday.”
The reporter then repeated the president’s remarks at the event, where he said, “Jackie, are you here? Where’s Jackie? She must not be here.” The press secretary repeated her answer of the congresswoman “being on top of mind” for the president and mentioning the upcoming signing. (RELATED: Peter Doocy Reads Karine’s Old Tweets Claiming Trump Stole 2016 Election To Her Face)
“No, I totally understand and I just explained, [Walorski] was on top of mind. You know, what we were able to witness today and what the president was able to lift up at this conference, at this event, was how her focus on wanting to deal with combat[ing] food insecurity in America, and this is something that he was lifting up and honoring. And again, he knows that he is going to see her family this coming Friday, there’s a bill-signing that’s going to happen in renaming a VA clinic in Vienna after the late congresswoman, he knows that he is going to see her family and she was on top of mind,” Jean-Pierre said.
Another reporter then pressed the press secretary on her answer that Walorski is “on top of mind” for the president. Jean-Pierre said he made the remark at an event that was honoring her work in food insecurity.
“Karine, I have John Lennon on top of mind just about everyday but I’m not looking around for him anywhere,” the reporter, Newsmax’s James Rosen, said.
“When you sign a bill for John Lennon as President then we can have this conversation,” the press secretary said.
Several reporters then apparently asked why the president does not apologize for making the statement as Jean-Pierre attempted to move on to the next reporter’s question.
Walorski died in a car accident while traveling in an SUV near Nappanee, Indiana. Her district director Zachery Potts and communications director Emma Thomson were also killed in the crash.
