Karine Jean-Pierre on funding for disaster help: We take this very seriously
Fox News senior White House correspondent Peter Doocy grills the press secretary about the Biden-Harris administrations response to Hurricane Helene and what it says about its values.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre received a promotion to senior adviser to the president Monday.
"Karine has been a trusted advisor to the President and all of us here at the White House since day one. Her counsel will be critical to get as much done as possible for the American people in the coming months," White House chief of staff Jeff Zients told ABC News.
ABC News reported Jean-Pierre would begin the role "effective immediately" while still maintaining her job as press secretary. This would be the first time in decades a press secretary has also served as a senior adviser.
Karine Jean-Pierre will continue to work as White House press secretary after her promotion. (Getty Images)
A White House official also told ABC News how "her promotion shows the faith that Biden has in her, as well as his commitment to having diverse and inter-generational voices guiding him in his decisions."
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE'S MOST MEMORABLE CLASHES WITH REPORTERS THROUGHOUT 2023
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House.
Earlier this year, reports suggested there were inside efforts to remove Jean-Pierre as press secretary.
The New York Post reported in April that Biden insiders, including Zients and longtime senior adviser Anita Dunn, were recruiting prominent Democrats to convince Jean-Pierre to step down after what they considered to be a poor job.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre (L) fields a question for US President Joe Biden during the daily press briefing at the White House in Washington, DC, on October 4, 2024. (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
Sources told the Post that the press secretary relied too much on her notes to be able to provide the quick-thinking pushback needed in the role, with one arguing that she "doesn't have an understanding of the issues" despite Jean-Pierre thinking that she's "doing an amazing job."
Deputy White House press secretary Andrew Bates denied those allegations at the time.
"Not only are these claims wildly false, but the reality is the polar opposite. Karine was never approached by anyone with such a message. She spends four hours preparing every day. And neither Jeff nor Anita did any such thing; both have been unflinchingly supportive of her," Bates told the Post.
Regarding Jean-Pierre’s reliance on notes, he added, "Every press secretary uses the binder. Why is she being singled out?"
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre holds the daily press briefing at the White House on October 07, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Jean-Pierre has also had several contentious moments with the press since taking on the job in May 2022. The press has repeatedly called her out for refusing to answer questions regarding controversial issues such as Biden’s age and health.
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Jean-Pierre got into a contentious exchange with Fox News' Peter Doocy Monday over hurricane disaster funding, with the press secretary calling the premise of the senior White House correspondent's question "misinformation."
Fox News' Brandon Gillespie contributed to this report.
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