Karine Jean-Pierre cites why it’s exactly fine to call Donald Trump a ‘threat’ to democracy
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre defended her statement labelling Trump a threat to democracy, citing his actions during the January 6 riot.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre defended her characterization of former US President Donald Trump as a “threat” to democracy, particularly in relation to his actions during the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot.
The White House Press Secretary made “you pick a different word to describe Trump other than ‘threat’?”-this remark in response to a question during her press briefing on Tuesday.
ABC News’ Selina Wang questioned Jean-Pierre on Trump’s statement, noting that Trump “claimed without evidence that their rhetoric is causing him to be ‘shot at.’” Jean-Pierre reiterated Joe Biden’s stance on the former president’s role in the Capitol riot: “President Biden has been clear-eyed about the threat that the former president represents to our democracy.”
She pointed towards Trump’s refusal to accept the 2020 election results and reminded the press that “2,000 angry people went [to the US Capitol] to try to overturn a free and fair election.”
Jean-Pierre pushes back on Fox News question on…
“It’s [White House] not going to stop the president and vice president — to call out, to continue to strongly call out, when it comes to protecting our democracy,” she further added. “We have to be forceful about that. We have to be very clear.”
Her comments came in the wake of the arrest of Ryan Wesley Routh, a 58-year-old man found near Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course with an AK-47 kinda of rifle. This assassination attempt came amidst a previous assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, where Trump’s ear was grazed by a bullet and the second one missed him by an inch.
When Fox News’ Peter Doocy asked, “There are mentally unstable people who are attempting to kill political candidates, who are attempting to kill Donald Trump, and they are still hearing this White House refer to him as a threat. Is there no concern that people are taking that literally?” Jean-Pierre spit fire, saying, “I actually completely disagree with the premise of your question that you’re asking is also incredibly dangerous in the way that you’re asking it, because American people are watching.”
She insisted that the administration was not exaggerating, explaining, “We’re using examples… January 6, Peter, January 6. Wait, January. 6. How many times do I have to? — Jan. 6, 2021! That is a fact.”
“This is an administration that has to denounce and condemn any type of political rhetoric or violence.”