CNN Reporter Presses KJP On White House’s Sudden Halt On Calling Trump ‘Existential Threat’ Once He Won Election

CNN’s MJ Lee questioned White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre Thursday on the White House no longer calling President-elect Donald Trump an “existential threat” to democracy since he was elected to serve a non-consecutive second term.

President Joe Biden, Jean-Pierre and other members of the Biden-Harris administration accused Trump of being an “existential threat to democracy” and a fascist ahead of the 2024 presidential election, but suddenly shifted to paving the way for a peaceful transfer of power once the president-elect defeated Vice President Kamala Harris. Jean-Pierre said the White House is respecting the “will of the American people” and to “lead by example” by ensuring a peaceful transfer of power.

“It’s been more than two weeks since the election, this was an election that elected a man that President Biden has repeatedly referred to as an ‘existential threat.’ So why is it that the American people have not heard President Biden talk about this threat since the election?” Lee asked.

“Because this is an election where the American people spoke and the will of the American people were very clear,” Jean-Pierre said. “And so the president is now in a situation where we have to deal with a peaceful transfer of power, we have to respect the will of the American people and that’s what you have been seeing from this president, trying to lead by example to make sure that happens. And that’s what the American people deserve, that’s what the president deserves … but we are now in a position where he believes he needs to lead by example and show what a peaceful transfer of power looks like. And so that’s what you’re seeing from this president.”

The press secretary said while Biden now is focused on a peaceful transfer of power, his beliefs on Trump being an alleged threat to democracy “have not changed.”

“His thoughts and what he said, his thinking on that has not changed. It has not,” Jean-Pierre continued. “And I think he was very clear on what should’ve been done or how we should move forward, he was very clear during those moments and he spoke about it … Right now, he wants to lead by example and talk and show the American people what it’s like to have an efficient, effective transfer of power and he believes that’s what the American people deserve.”

Biden, along with other in his administration, has accused Trump and his supporters of being “an extremist threat to our democracy” since the early days of taking office, and he has outlined the alleged dangers of a second Trump term. Jean-Pierre stated the White House’s official position is that Trump is a “fascist” during an Oct. 23 briefing, just two weeks before the election.

The president campaigned on Trump posing a risk to democracy before dropping out of the 2024 race in July, stating during a campaign speech in January that Trump is “willing to sacrifice our democracy” to “put himself in power.” He doubled down on his accusations about Trump by telling NBC’s Lester Holt that Trump has threatened to upend American democracy through his rhetoric during an interview in July.

“I am not engaged in that rhetoric. Now my opponent is engaged in that rhetoric: He talks about it’ll be a bloodbath if he loses, talking about how he’s going to forgive all the actions, I guess suspend the sentences of all those who were arrested and sentenced to go to jail because of what happened in the Capitol. I’m not out there making fun of like when remember the picture of Donald Trump when Nancy Pelosi’s husband was hit with a hammer going — talking — joking about it?” Biden said.

Trump met with Biden at the White House on Nov. 13 for a two hour long meeting to discuss the transition period, which Jean-Pierre described as being “gracious” and “substantive.”