White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre did not give Fox News’ Peter Doocy the time of day during her press briefing.
As she walked away from the lectern on Friday, Doocy could be seen with his hand in the air, trying to get a question in and repeatedly saying, “Karine.”
However, she proceeded to leave without fielding one question from him.
Watch the video below:
White House Press Sec. Karine Jean-Pierre exits the briefing room without calling on Fox News’ Peter Doocy once today.
— The Recount (@therecount) January 13, 2023
Watch him keep his hand in the air as she walks out. pic.twitter.com/LiBWqUROOa
There is no mandate for the White House press secretary to call on adversarial reporters during every single press briefing.
Every administration is going to have at least one reporter who asks what they feel are “gotchya”questions, or are just trying to give their network or publication a good sound bite.
And Doocy has certainly hit Jean-Pierre, and Biden, with some non-sympathetic questions about the president’s handling of classified documents.
“On these documents, how could anyone be that irresponsible? … Isn’t that what this president says about mishandling classified documents?” Doocy asked as he quoted Biden’s words about former President Donald Trump.
During his questioning, Jean-Pierre stared at him with a blank expression that seemed to convey a sense of frustration.
WATCH: Fox News' Peter Doocy asks same question Biden asked regarding Trump and classified documents: "How can anyone be that irresponsible?" pic.twitter.com/NPxRvoSj7n
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) January 11, 2023
On Thursday, the Fox News reporter confronted Biden about the revelation classified documents were found in his garage.
“Classified materials next to your Corvette? What were you thinking?” he asked.
And later in the day, he suggested the White House was “trying to hide” something about the classified documents case.
Jean-Pierre asserted the White House was not trying to hide anything.
DOOCY: "What is the White House trying to hide?"
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) January 12, 2023
KJP: "Nothing." pic.twitter.com/KrbuC7O2nX
After a couple of days in a row of fielding tough questions from reporters who are parsing practically every word, it can be understandable to want to skip Doocy’s questions for a day.
But when there are questions about how transparent the administration has been, even from mainstream journalists, looking like you are hiding from what some audiences may just consider hard questions will not help the administration’s image.