Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy confronted the Biden administration on Tuesday over its claim that illegal immigration has decreased by more than 90%.
On Monday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre claimed that under President Joe Biden’s leadership, illegal immigration has declined sharply — by “more than 90%.”
“When it comes to illegal migration, you’ve seen it come down by more than 90%, and that’s because of the actions that this president has taken,” she claimed.
The “more than 90%” claim received a lot of attention, but no follow-up at Monday’s press briefing. So on Tuesday, Doocy took it upon himself to ask Jean-Pierre exactly from where she derived that figure.
“Where did that number come from?” he asked, noting that Customs and Border Protection says that illegal migration has increasedcompared to last year.
Jean-Pierre began speaking over Doocy, then chided him, saying, “If the dramatics could come down a little bit.”
“What’s dramatic about asking a question about —” Doocy shot back, when Jean-Pierre interrupted him again.
“I was speaking to the parolee program,” she said. “As you know, the president put in place a parolee program to deal with certain countries on ways that we can limit illegal migration. And the data has shown us that it has gone down by more than 90%. That was what I was speaking to.”
When Doocy attempted to respond, Jean-Pierre refused to let him speak and moved to a different reporter.
DOOCY: "You said yesterday that when it comes to illegal migration, you've seen it come down by more than 90%. Where did that number come from?"
JEAN-PIERRE: "If the dramatics could come down a little bit…"
It’s true, according to Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin, that immigration numbers from countries in the parolee program improved — but that improvement was offset by increasing migration from countries not in the program.
“There was a window of time earlier this year where encounters with Venezuelans, Nicaraguans, and Cubans did temporarily dip 90% after a policy change, but other countries, like China, shot up over 800%. Illegal crossings, including Venezuelans, back at peak highs now,” Melugin explained.
In fact, when Biden announced the parolee program about four months ago, Melugin predicted the Biden administration would use the program control the optics of the border crisis while simultaneously exacerbating it.
“This new policy will almost certainly reduce *recorded* monthly border crossing numbers because these nationalities are crossing in massive numbers,” he explained in January. “However, migrants not eligible for parole will have no incentive to turn themselves in now, & will evade as ‘gotaways’.”
Indeed, on the same day that Jean-Pierre claimed immigration had improved, the Border Patrol announced that more than 22,000 migrants had been apprehended in the previous 72 hours.
05/02/23: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre www.youtube.com
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Like just about anything else that undermines the Democrats’ preferred narratives, the Getty Images photo that revealed that President Joe Biden’s responses to questions at his joint press conference with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol earlier this week were scripted went mostly unreported throughout the corporate press. And, compared to the damage done by the out-of-control spending and woke policies at home and incoherent foreign policy abroad pursued by Biden, perhaps it isn’t earth-shaking that he needs cheat sheets on those rare occasions when his handlers allow him to field live questions from the press.
We’ve already seen plenty of evidence that the 80-year-old commander-in-chief requires printed cards with detailed instructions to navigate public events. He spent most of the 2020 presidential campaign doing virtual events; the press and public were given little or no access to him. That’s continued since he entered the White House.
Starting from his first meeting with his first formal press conference in March 2021, he has been carrying such cards with him in such settings. In March 2022, he was caught holding a card with answers to possible questions about the war in Ukraine. And in both a June 2022 event with wind industry executives and then a November 2022 summit in Indonesia, the cameras were able to see the cue cards he carried that told him precisely what to do, with phrases like “You enter,” “You take your seat,” “You thank participants,” and “You depart.” And to the consternation of his handlers, sometimes he reads the stage instructions aloud.
But this week’s cheat sheet goes beyond the usual embarrassment about an octogenarian president who is unable to perform without a script and often incapable of following the instructions he’s given.
It’s one thing for the White House staff to tell the president what to do or even to supply him with answers to possible questions that he can’t be relied upon to remember without a script in front of him. It’s quite another when members of the White House press corps are actively colluding in the charade. And that is what the photo of his presser cheat sheet revealed.
The card labeled “Question #1” in the “Reporter Q & A” showed a picture of Los Angeles Times White House correspondent Courtney Subramanian (followed by the phonetic guide to pronouncing her name) and then the text of a question about semiconductor manufacturing.
Biden duly called upon Subramanian, who then did ask a question about semiconductors, though not the exact same question that was on his card. In any event, Biden followed the script and gave her the answer to the question he thought he was getting rather than the one she posed.
It’s generally no secret what questions reporters are liable to ask, since most follow the dictates of the news cycle. And while the tradition of White House pressers has generally called for senior reporters for major outlets to be given priority to ask questions, other presidents have been comfortable enough in public to be able to choose for themselves and to be able to answer without scripts or notes.
A New Low for the Press
But the question this incident poses is far more serious than the fact that Biden can’t maneuver through a public event without minute instructions.
The card shows that Subramanian is submitting her questions in advance of the presser. And it is likely that others who are called upon are required to do the same. That means that even when his staff allows Biden to face the press in live events — and he has held fewer press conferences than any president in the last 30 years — what we are seeing is something along the lines of a Kabuki play and not anything that previous generations would have recognized as an actual opportunity for the press to get real answers about the issues of the day.
This is appalling not just because it shows Biden is incapable of behaving as all of his predecessors have done and submit regularly to unscripted grilling from an often-adversarial press corps. Given his age and his inability to get through public appearances without all manners of gaffes and evidence of confusion, what the cheat sheets demonstrate is that the corporate media considers itself obligated to assist the White House in a deceitful show aimed at demonstrating Biden is capable of governing, when that is not the case.
That goes beyond the unwillingness of virtually any member of the current White House press corps other than Fox News’ Peter Doocy to pose tough questions. It means they have abandoned even the pretense that they are there to hold the administration accountable and are instead merely the media auxiliaries of the Democratic Party.
Even more than just this disinterest in basic journalistic ethics, this kind of cooperation shows the lengths to which some reporters and their bosses are willing to go to cover up Biden’s incapacity to serve.
Part of a Pattern
The willingness of the press to go into the tank for Democrats is nothing new.
Last fall, legacy media journalists covered up the extent of Pennsylvania Democratic Senate candidate John Fetterman’s incapacity in the wake of a massive stroke. Their lies were only revealed when, in the sole debate of that race, Fetterman demonstrated that, even with electronic aids, he had trouble comprehending questions and answering them in a coherent fashion. His recent return to the Senate after spending several weeks in a hospital to be treated for severe depression showed that there was little improvement, but even now the corporate media treat any mention of his problems as evidence of bad manners or prejudice against the disabled rather than a justified concern about a senator who cannot fulfill his duties.
Biden’s announcement of his intention to run for re-election next year puts this problem in clear focus. It’s impossible for citizens to judge whether it is wise to elect a man already clearly in decline to serve until he is 86 when the people whose job it is to tell the truth about the government are reduced to supporting actors in a show aimed at covering up the truth.
This transcends the longstanding problem of liberal media bias. Like the press’s conniving to spread the Russia-collusion hoax and their assistance in the silencing of the Hunter Biden laptop story, playing along with the Biden show is clear evidence of corruption. It means it is impossible to believe anything that reporters who play this game write or say. It also means that, in the absence of objective medical tests that are made public and which the White House has shown no interest in conducting, no serious person can possibly accept the assurances about Biden’s mental acuity that we are being asked to believe.
Jonathan S. Tobin is a senior contributor to The Federalist, editor in chief of JNS.org, and a columnist for Newsweek. Follow him on Twitter at @jonathans_tobin.
Fox News White House Correspondent Peter Doocy asked White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Monday if anybody approves of the administration’s handling of inflation.
Doocy asked the press secretary why inflation is continuing to skyrocket despite President Joe Biden continuously promising to tackle the issue. Jean-Pierre expressed the administration’s understanding of the American people’s frustrations and warned that Republicans are going to make inflation worse by repealing the Inflation Reduction Act and CHIPS Act.
“The president understands, and we’ve talked about this many times, that inflation is an issue. High costs, costs, is an issue for the American people and so he’s been very clear about making that his number one economic priority,” Jean-Pierre said. “And he has done the work, and he’s done the work with congressional Democrats when you think about the Inflation Reduction Act which is going to lower the cost for our seniors, millions and millions of seniors across the country. When you think about that $2,000 cap on their own Medicare prescription, when you think about the thousands of dollars that our seniors pay a month, now that’s going to be $2,000 a year.”
“That is the work that congressional Democrats and the president has done. Republicans did not vote for that at all and what Republicans want to do is that they want to repeal that very historic piece of legislation that is also going to lower energy costs, that is also going to help fight climate change. They want to get rid of it. So there is a contrast that we are going to make which is how Republicans are actually going to make things worse and Democrats want to do the opposite and make things a little easier,” she continued.
“But, who exactly think the president is doing a good job on inflation because we’ve got a new poll that finds he receives his lowest job ratings on inflation at -38 points,” Doocy said.
“Republicans in Congress refuse, they refuse to be partners with us on this,” she answered. “They refuse to help us. You think about the American Rescue Plan that has helped create an economy that is indeed resilient, that created jobs, they refuse to help.”
The Fox News reporter pointed out a general consensus held by most economists that the American Rescue Plan “has contributed” to inflation. She referred Doocy to Treasury Department Janet Yellen’s scheduled statement on these reports, then argued that the pieces of legislation passed by the Biden administration are “popular with the American people.”
“They are popular. They are popular with the American people,” she said. “They understand, the American people understand what these pieces of legislation that we have worked so hard to get across the line, that are now law, is going to change lives of the American people. Now, is there work to be done? There’s always more work to be done but we are taking the steps to do that. Again, congressional Republicans, they are doing nothing, absolutely nothing. They want to repeal, they want to take away the advances we have made.”
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) indicated that inflation rose 8.2% year-over-year in September. The issue has remained a prioritized issue among the majority of potential voters in the midterm elections.
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Fox News journalist Peter Doocy bulldozed through the Biden administration’s narratives on gas prices during the media briefing with White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. President Joe Biden (D) had declared victory on lowering gas prices months ago but has grown quieter after a recent surge in pricing again.
“You said the president was responsible for gas prices coming down. Is the president responsible for gas prices going up?” Doocy asked on Tuesday.
“So, it’s a lot more nuanced than that, right?” Jean-Pierre responded.
“Peter, you know this. There have been global challenges that we have all have dealt with, when I say ‘all’ I mean other countries, as well, have dealt with, since the pandemic, there’s been pandemic and there’s been [Russian Federation President Vladimir] Putin’s war,” she continued.
“And Putin’s war has increased gas prices at the pump. We have seen that over the past several months,” Jean-Pierre added. “And what the president has been able to do, he took some historic steps, when you think about the strategic petroleum reserve, and making sure that he, we were able to do everything that we can to bring that cost down for American families, give them a little bit more of a breathing room.”
Doocy went on to point out that consumers in some areas of the country were paying up to $6.41 a gallon for gas.
“Who can afford that?” he asked.
“And we understand that!” Jean-Pierre responded. “That’s why the president works so hard the past several months to make sure he did everything we can to bring gas prices down!”
Jean-Pierre went on to keep praising Biden for the “historic actions” he took to lower gas prices despite the recent increases.
The American Automobile Association calculated that the national average for a gallon of gas was $3.80. Prices hit a high of about $5.01 per gallon in June but have fallen for several months before reversing course.
Despite the drop, Americans are still paying about $1.50 more, or 60% more, than they did when Biden was inaugurated in January 2021.
Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy read White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre’s old tweets claiming former President Donald Trump stole the 2016 election to her face Tuesday. Doocy asked the press secretary about false claims that the 2016 election was “stolen” as the White House repeatedly argues that “MAGA [Make America Great Again] Republicans” pose a threat to democracy over their claims about the 2020 election was fraudulent. The press secretary said the White House will focus on the present rather than 2016.
Doocy then read 2016 tweets where Jean-Pierre said Trump and Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp “stole an election.”
“If denying an election is extreme now, why wasn’t it then?” he asked.
“So let’s be very clear that that comparison that you made is just ridiculous,” she said.
“How is that ridiculous?” Doocy interjected.
“You’re asking me a question, let me answer it,” she pushed back. “I was talking specifically at that time of what was happening with voting rights and what was in danger of voting rights. That’s what I was speaking to at the time and here’s the thing, I have said, Governor Kemp won the election in Georgia. I’ve been clear about that. I have said President Trump won the election in 2016 and I’ve been clear about that.” (RELATED: Jean-Pierre Says Biden’s Attacks On ‘MAGA Republicans’ Are ‘Not Political’)
The press secretary said the claims of a stolen election in 2020 led to the violence that took place on January 6, 2021. She claimed the riot led to the death of Capitol police officers, even though all of the officers died either from suicide or natural causes after the riot.
“What we are talking about right now is let’s not forget what happened on January 6, 2021, where we saw an insurrection, a mob that was incited by the person who occupied this campus, this facility at that time,” she said. “And it was an attack on our democracy. Let’s not forget people died that day. Law enforcement were attacked that day. That was the danger that we were seeing at the time. That’s what the president has called out and that’s what he’s going to do continue to call out.”
“So yes, when you have MAGA Republicans, an extreme part of Republicans, who just deny or do not want to really say what exactly happened on that day or say it was a protest when it clearly was not a peaceful protest. That’s not what we saw on that day. Yes, the president’s going to call that out.”
Ashli Babbitt a self-described Trump supporter who entered the building during the riot, was also killed at the riot. A Capitol police officer, Lt. Michael Byrd, fatally shot her in the left shoulder and neck.
Jean-Pierre told Doocy that the majority of Americans agree that democracy and the people’s rights must be protected.
Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy left White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stumbling on her first official day behind the lectern after Jen Psaki’s departure. The topic? Inflation and President Joe Biden’s claim that raising corporate taxes will help the ongoing economic crisis. Referring to a tweet that Biden published last week, Doocy lobbed a softball question at Jean-Pierre, “How does raising taxes on corporations reduce inflation?”
But the new press secretary appeared unaware that such a tweet from Biden existed, asking if Doocy was, in fact, referring to a specific tweet. When Doocy informed her that Biden’s official Twitter account made such a connection between corporate taxes and inflation last week, Jean-Pierre stumbled her way through recycling Democratic talking points about taxes and corporations paying their “fair share.”
Look, you know, we have talked about — we have talked about this this past year, about making sure that the wealthiest among us are paying their fair share. And that is important to do. And that is something that, you know, the president has been, you know, working on every day when we talk about inflation and lowering costs. And so, it’s very important that, you know, as we’re seeing costs rise, as we’re talking about how to, you know — you know, build an America that is safe, that’s equal for everyone, and doesn’t leave anyone behind, that is an important part of that as well.
05/16/22: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre youtu.be
Because Jean-Pierre did not answer the question, Doocy then asked again, “But how does raising taxes on corporations lower the cost of gas, the cost of a used car, the cost of food for everyday Americans?”
This time Jean-Pierre invoked climate change and collective bargaining rights while injecting several mentions of a “fairer tax code,” but she still did not answer the question.
“Look, it is — you know, by not — if — without having a fairer tax code, which is what I’m talking about, then all — every — like manufacturing workers, cops — you know, it’s not fair for them to have to pay higher taxes than the folks that — who are — who are — who are not paying taxes at all or barely have,” Jean-Pierre added.
“It’s not a huge mystery why one of the wealthiest individuals on Earth — right? — opposes an economic agenda that is for the middle class, that cuts some of the biggest costs families face, fights inflation for the long haul — right? — and that’s what we’re talking about; that’s why we’re talking about lowering inflation here — and adds to the historic deficit reduction the president is achieving by asking the richest taxpayers and corporations to pay their fair share. That is what we’re talking about,” she said.
Larry Summers, who has been highly critical of the Biden administration amid the inflation crisis, explained Monday that he actually agrees with Biden that hiking corporate taxes would positively impact inflation.
“I think @JeffBezos is mostly wrong in his recent attack on the @JoeBiden Admin,” Summers declared. “It is perfectly reasonable to believe, as I do and @POTUS asserts, that we should raise taxes to reduce demand to contain inflation and that the increases should be as progressive as possible.”
He added, “I say this even though I have argued vigorously that excessively expansionary macro policy from the @federalreserve and the government have contributed to inflation. I have rejected rhetoric about inflation caused by corporate gouging as preposterous.”
I say this even though I have argued vigorously that excessively expansionary macro policy from the @federalreserve and the government have contributed to inflation. I have rejected rhetoric about inflation caused by corporate gouging as preposterous.
CNN host Brian Stelter was seemingly left surprised on Sunday after a guest on “Reliable Sources” bucked his narrative on White House press secretary Jen Psaki’s alleged insult of reporter Peter Doocy.
In January, President Joe Biden was caught on a hot mic calling Doocy, a White House correspondent for Fox News, a “stupid son of a b****.”
During an interview on the left-wing podcast “Pod Save America” last week, Psaki was asked whether she agrees with Biden’s insult.
“He works for a network that provides people with questions that, nothing personal to any individual including Peter Doocy, but might make anyone sound like a stupid son of a b****,” Psaki responded, adding that she appreciated how Doocy handled Biden’s insult with “grace.”
Whereas Stelter defended Psaki, Lynn Sweet, Washington bureau chief for the Chicago Sun-Times, condemned Psaki for being unprofessional.
“She got lulled into losing her discipline. This podcast is made by her friends. They go back to the Kerry campaign. They worked in the Obama White House,” Sweet said.
“She was forgetting what her real job is, which is to communicate on behalf of the president. OK? She even repeated some of the swear words that the questioner asked in the question, upping the ante,” she added
After commending Psaki for acknowledging Doocy’s “grace,” Sweet said, “One other quick thing: It’s not a negative to consult your colleagues on what question to ask.”
Stelter responded to Sweet’s remarks with a puzzled look, only uttering, “Hmm, right,” before moving on.
“So, they’re defending his honor.”@brianstelter a few days ago was smirking at Fox’s “outrage” and implying Fox’s defense of Doocy was untrue and Psaki’s comment was fine.
However on Sunday @lynnsweet had a “little different view,” saying Psaki “was forgetting what her real job is,” and she appeared to catch @brianstelter off-guard in saying, “it’s not a negative to consult your colleagues on what question to ask.”
Last Friday, Stelter defended Psaki and suggested that Doocy is a puppet for Fox News, the exact point that Sweet chided last.
“I think the point she’s trying to say there is that Fox pushes storylines that are sometimes nonsense. Doocy does that in the briefing room,” Stelter said.
“I think Jen Psaki’s like — remember in senior year, spring of your senior year, you’re about to graduate and you’re just tired of all this? I think we’re seeing that from Jen Psaki,” Stelter went on to say. “She’s about to leave the White house. She’s going to go to a job likely at MSNBC, so she’s kind of relaxing and maybe sharing how she really feels.”
“But, to be fair, she didn’t really criticize [Doocy] directly,” Stelter excused. “She was really criticizing Fox News as an organization.”
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