TRAINWRECK: WH Reporters Torch Jean-Pierre Over Baby Formula Crisis, Inflation

Karine Jean-Pierre, White House Press Secretary, was subject to the worst of many bad, terrible, no good and very poor days. Reporters from both conservative and liberal outlets, as well as those at the front and back, fought with each other over questions regarding the infant formula shortage, inflation and the presidential leadership. Jean-Pierre had no answers other than lengthy notes that she pre-wrote and used as a crutch.

The AP’s Zeke Miller signaled what was to come as he noted that, moments earlier at a separate White House event, President Biden admitted he wasn’t told of the massive formula crisis until April even though others (and corporate executives) knew for months beforehand.

“So, what is the reason for the disconnect there and is he going to hold anyone accountable,”He inquired.

Jean-Pierre mentioned the government’s action starting in February and praised the administration for their efforts to increase production at a rapid pace.

But CBS’s Ed O’Keefe wasn’t buying any of this, noting Jean-Pierre talked about actions from four months ago but the crisis went on for months since: “When did somebody call the White House to say this is a problem, you guys may need to get involved?”

Jean-Pierre stayed true to the notes she made. “on day one of the recall, we took action as a whole of government approach” Biden, personally “understands how difficult this is.” But the usually calm and cool O’Keefe grew agitated (click “expand”):

O’KEEFE: [INAUDIBLE]Februar

JEAN-PIERRE 

O’KEEFE: When was someone called here at the White House to say, “this could be an issue that requires Presidential involvement.

JEAN-PIERRE The only thing I can say is that the whole government has been involved in this process since February, when recalls were made.

O’KEEFE: The independent regulatory agency, the FDA, the one questions that have been referred to in the past, is now being embraced as whole of government. Let’s point that out. The other thing: Why wasn’t Abbott invited today?

JEAN PIERRE: Well, it’s because Abbott and I, as you know, agreed to a safe route for reopening the Sturgis plant after the FDA raised safety concerns. We know that Abbott is making every effort to make safe infant formula again. This is a continuous process…Today we are focusing on progress and actions that can be taken to accelerate right now. Our collaborations with manufacturers continue…[T]He actions have made a significant impact. So I want to let you know what the administration has accomplished. The whole government approach.

O’KEEFE: But don’t you all understand that you’re doing this now on June 1. If he knew about this —

JEAN-PIERRE: No. We have been — 

O’KEEFE: — in April —

JEAN-PIERRE: — no, no, no. Since the recall, we have done this whole-of-government approach. That is what it — and it’s not — but —

O’KEEFE: — yeah, but the Defense Production Act wasn’t invoked until last month.

JEAN-PIERRE: Because we had to make sure —

O’KEEFE: That’s what got things moving.

JEAN-PIERRE: — we had to make sure and really look into what would work and what was the best direction to move forward. 

The reliably liberal CNN reporter M.J. Lee took her turn a few minutes later and wasn’t any gentler, demanding to know why “baby formula manufacturers knew that things would be really bad as soon as the Abbott recalls happened, the shutdown of the plant happened…but [Biden] didn’t? Did they not inform him? Why didn’t he know if they knew?”

Jean-Pierre looked upstream, but without a paddle. She was again sticking to her notes. Lee graciously called her lengthy answer to clarify that she didn’t have. “address[ed] the question.”

NBC’s Kelly O’Donnell tried to help Jean-Pierre, reminding her that “we all understand that government operates at many levels” and “[t]he President’s not read in on every issue,” but they want to know why there was such a delay when all parties now have called it “a crisis” and “there will be future crises” requiring Biden’s direct involvement.

Fox’s Peter Doocy cut to the chase: “[W]ho is the person, in the West Wing, who decided after six or eight weeks that this baby formula shortage was finally something that somebody should tell the President about?”

Obviously, Jean-Pierre didn’t answer and instead said she’ll need “to go back and talk to the President.” Doocy decided to infuse the world after much more wandering. “When are you guys going to admit that you were wrong about inflation?”

Jean-Pierre, a bit flustered, then made this joke that was like a lead balloon. “No easy questions today. Huh?”

Doocy persisted “The Treasury secretary says that she was wrong. So why doesn’t anybody here at the White House?”

Jean-Pierre blamed supposedly unforseen events like COVID-19 and Russia, so Doocy gave her one more chance to give a different answer (which she didn’t): “Just so that I understand the treasury secretary says that she was wrong but the White House was not wrong about inflation.”

CBSNews.com’s Kathryn Watson followed Doocy and, after a few gun questions, she too had baby formula questions, including one about whether Biden’s been “satisfied with the FDA’s response in this crisis.”

Jean-Pierre stated, without hesitation, that he was and “still [has] confidence in the FDA.”

Near the end, Real Clear Politics’s Philip Wegmann had biting questions on leadership and how Biden’s ideas to combat inflation aren’t new (click “expand”):

WEGMANN: [M]y more general question, which is, I think at the heart of a lot of things that you’ve asked is, how serious does an issue have to be before it’s brought to the President’s attention?

JEAN PIERRE: Let me simply say this because it is so important. And I’ve said this multiple times, the reason that we are where we are with Abbott in this facility…because of our involvement in what we were able to do. Look, the market, there are four manufacturing facilities — companies, just four….From the moment that we heard of the recall in February, on February 17th, as I’ve laid out, we took action….The President deals with multiple crises. His administration has dealt with many crises. Our conversation about the economy was a common theme when we met a little more than a year earlier. The topic of COVID was discussed. The topic of climate change was also discussed. We discussed climate change. And we have seen his comprehensive plan when it comes to COVID and what we’ve been able to do and getting people vaccinated and boosted. The economy as it is now. Now we’re in this transition. These are all important things to remember that multiple crises can be occurring simultaneously.

WEGMANN: Okay. Next, we will continue with the Wall Street Journal op-ed. In this essay, President Trump reiterated his support for the Federal Reserve’s independence. He urged Congress to approve tax credits. He also demanded that Congress pass tax credits to increase revenue and reduce deficits. Correct me if I’m wrong, but these proposals aren’t exactly new. I mean, we’re coming up on a 40 year high of inflation. Do you have any other ideas?

JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah, I’m happy — and I’m happy to lay that out. Lay that out as how he’s fighting inflation. Look, as you just said —

WEGMANN – But, is he planning to do anything else? [inaudible]It is possible to take action?

JEAN-PIERRE: Well, I mean, let me just tell you what we have been doing, and what we will continue to do, and what we know is important in order to fight inflation….This is a place where we have made notable progress that we’ve talked about. We have made more than $1.5 billion in deficit reduction this year. And we want to keep making that progress, so that’s not going to end there. And there’s other ways too. A 50 million family’s access to high-speed internet at a lower cost. More than one million affordable housing units are being built to lower rents and house prices. Helping America’s farmers increase crop yields to help bring down food prices. We also need to improve our supply chains in order to decrease the price of goods moving to customers’ homes, shelves, and their families. And we’re always looking at other things that we can do. These aren’t small actions that we have taken. It is clear that the President did a lot to combat inflation. We understand that there’s more work to be done. What families feel right now is something we understand. However, we’re doing our best to make this a reality.

To see the relevant transcript from June 1’s briefing (including an O’Donnell-like cleanup assist from The Washington Post’s Tyler Pager on inflation and whether anyone has “regrets”), click here.