Republicans jeering during State of the Union is what 'Americans don't want,' White House says

close

Video

Republicans jeering during State of the Union is what 'Americans don't want,' White House says

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre responded Wednesday to Republicans speaking out during President Biden's State of the Union address, saying it was "what Americans don't want."

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre fielded questions aboard Air Force One Wednesday, unpacking President Biden's State of the Union address.

When asked if the president was "offended" by the Republicans speaking out during his speech, Jean-Pierre claimed the GOP exhibited behavior that "Americans don't want."

BIDEN BOOED DURING STATE OF THE UNION FOR CLAIMING GOP WANTS TO CUT SOCIAL SECURITY, MEDICARE

"I think what you saw last night is a president that was very clear on how he sees the next two years. It was a president that talked about the progress that he's made over the last two years," Jean-Pierre said. "If you talk about the split screen, right, you saw that from the president, and you saw what the Republicans were all about, which is jeering and, you know, behaving in a way that, again, Americans don't want."

President Biden arrives to deliver the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress at the Capitol, Tuesday, Feb 7, 2023, in Washington.  (Jacquelyn Martin)

GOP lawmakers are furious with the president, who accused them of wanting to hold the economy "hostage" and sunset Social Security and Medicare. 

MCCARTHY, HARRIS SPOTTED LAUGHING IN FRIENDLY EXCHANGE BEFORE BIDEN STATE OF THE UNION

Biden's statements were met with raucous boos in the House chamber, and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., was heard shouting "liar!" at the president. Others joined in on social media during and after Biden's speech. 

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre speaks during the daily press briefing in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 2023.  (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

"That's not what Americans — they told us very clearly after the midterms what they wanted," Jean-Pierre said of the heckling. "So we know what approach that the American people want. We're going with the approach of delivering —  continuing to deliver on key important issues. You heard him talk about four of them last night. And so that's going to be our focus."

PRESIDENT BIDEN'S STATE OF THE UNION REPORT CARD: RATINGS FROM FORMER SPEECHWRITERS ARE IN

Biden's claim that "some Republicans want Medicare and Social Security to sunset" is based on a legislative agenda released by Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., last year. 

President Biden, center, speaks during a State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023. Biden is speaking against the backdrop of renewed tensions with China and a brewing showdown with House Republicans over raising the federal debt ceiling.  (Nathan Howard/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Scott proposed that "all federal legislation sunsets in 5 years. If a law is worth keeping, Congress can pass it again." 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Though Scott's proposal was widely rejected by Republicans and denounced by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Democrats seized on Scott's proposal and claimed Republicans wanted to sunset Social Security and Medicare entitlements. 

Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., yells as President Biden delivers the State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., Feb. 7, 2023.  (JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)

The Washington Post and other fact-checkers declared the Democrats' claim to be "false." 

Fox News Digital's Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.