Newsmax chief White House correspondent James Rosen pressed White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on why the White House did not reach out to the family of slain Pennsylvania police chief John McIntire.
McIntire died instantly from a gunshot wound reportedly fired by 28-year-old Aaron Lamont Swan in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in a Jan. 3 shootout. Another officer suffered a leg injury.
Rosen asked Jean-Pierre how the White House decides which families to contact after a tragedy after Vice President Kamala Harris attended the funeral of Tyre Nichols, who died in a police-related beating.
“The event calls into question how the Biden White House goes about deciding which atrocities, which tragedies merit high-level attention from the president or vice president. So, in addition to Nichols’ funeral, he called the parents of [Buffalo Bills cornerback] Damar Hamlin, an injured NFL player,” Rosen said. “I checked the White House website just before coming into the briefing room today, and I see no indication that the chief executive at any time reached out to the family of Justin McIntire, who was the police chief of Brackenridge, Pennsylvania, was shot to death in the line of duty, a father of four. Why not?”
“If you look at this president, who has been a senator for thirty-six years, who has been a vice president for eight years, and who has been clearly finishing up his two years in the presidency thus far,” Jean-Pierre replied. “If you know Joe Biden, you know that he feels the pain of many families who have lost loved ones because he knows what that means.”
“You’ve named one family in particular, I understand why you’re naming that family in particular, but there’s been many families that he has called to offer up his condolences and offer up his help and assistance in any way.” (RELATED: Jean-Pierre Says Booting Ilhan Omar From Key Committee Is A ‘Political Stunt’)
McIntire died after tracking down Swan, who was wanted for violating his probation, at a traffic stop. Swan allegedly fled the scene and ran from them by foot the following morning. A gunfight reportedly broke out between officers and Swan when officers located him, leading to his death.
The press secretary said the president has offered his condolences to grieving families in a way that other politicians are not capable of doing. She added that Nichols and Hamlin’s cases were very public and thus got the White House’s immediate attention.
Hamlin, 24, suffered cardiac arrest during a Monday Night Football game Jan. 2 and spent several days in the intensive care unit (ICU). The president spoke with Hamlin’s parents following the incident, and later told reporters that those kinds of health dangers have to be acknowledged.