During Tuesday’s White House press conference, which was held at the same time former President Donald Trump was arriving at the Manhattan Criminal Court to face arraignment, Press Secretary Karine-Jean Pierre said that she would not be commenting on the first-in-history case that has the eyes of the entire nation on it.
“President Biden is a lawyer,” Fox News’ Peter Doocy began, before being interrupted by Jean-Pierre who wanted Biden’s full official title used.
He is “the President of the United States and the Commander-in-Chief as well,” she said.
“He is,” Doocy said, “but as a lawyer, is he concerned at all that a local DA indicting a former president could, down the line, open up the possibility, set the precedent that local DAs that don’t line former President Biden could indict him?”
“I’m not going to comment from here,” said Jean-Pierre.
“Why don’t you have more to say about the Trump indictment?” Doocy pressed.
“It is an ongoing case, and I’ve been very clear about that. We’ve been prudent about that, not commenting on ongoing cases, and we’re gonna stick to that.
“But for better or worse, all that anybody in the country is talking about at this exact moment while we’re in here is Trump, and they look here to find out what the White House thinks about it.
“I think the American people should feel reassured that when there is an ongoing case, like this one, that we’re just not commenting,” Jean-Pierre said.
“Does the lack of comment mean you do not think anything happening in New York today is one of the top issues facing the country at the moment?” Doocy asked.
“That’s your assessment, that’s not my assessment. I’m just laying out the facts that we are just not gonna comment on an ongoing case from here, and we’ve been very consistent, we’ve been very prudent, and we’re gonna stick there,” she concluded.
In response to Jean-Pierre’s repeated response on not commenting on ongoing cases, the New York Times’ Michael Shear asked why the White House wouldn’t comment on this ongoing case, while Biden has spoken “repeatedly” about ongoing January 6 cases. Shear noted that there are “more than 500 active legal cases going on.”
But for Jean-Pierre, that’s another story entirely.
“January 6 was a devastating day,” Jean-Pierre said, later adding that it was an “attack on our democracy.”
“It was something that needed to be spoken to. When you see something like that, our democracy, literally our democracy under attack.”
Neither she nor the president appear to believe that democracy is under sttack when a presidential candidate, Biden’s leading opponent, faces prosecution at a local level for charges that federal prosecutors have long since decided not to pursue.
