MSNBC host attacks White House press corps' 'grotesque' behavior against Karine Jean-Pierre
MSNBC host Lawrence O’Donnell criticized the White House press corps for repeatedly pushing back against Karine Jean-Pierre avoiding a question Monday.
MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell had harsh words for what he considered "grotesque behavioral overreaction" by the White House press corps during Monday’s briefing.
The "Last Word" host discussed the contentious press conference where White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre repeatedly did not confirm Dr. Kevin Cannard, a neurologist from Walter Reed Military Medical Center who specializes in Parkinson's disease, had been among the doctors making visits over the past year.
Reporters pointed out Cannard’s name was listed in public visitor logs, but Jean-Pierre continued to avoid referencing Cannard, citing security and privacy concerns. This led to a fiery back-and-forth between Jean-Pierre and the press, particularly with CBS’ Ed O’Keefe.
"There's no reason to go back and forth with me in this aggressive way," Jean-Pierre scolded the reporters.
"Well, we are miffed around here about what has been shared with the press corps about him," an exasperated O'Keefe said.
Although other reporters criticized Jean-Pierre following the briefing, O’Donnell attacked the press, suggesting they were unfair.
"If you saw any of the White House press briefing today, it was the White House press corps, many of them, at their absolute worst in the way they approached press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who was trying to be responsive to medical questions where there were limitations on what she could say," O’Donnell said. "The New York Times’ reporting of the way the press secretary handled that was to say that she ‘dodged’ the questions. That is not true!"
O’Donnell claimed that the contention came because Jean-Pierre "didn’t give the answer The New York Times wanted or other reporters wanted" and so "kept banging on" with "out of control behavior" that "was as bad a circus as it looked like."
After White House physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor released a letter regarding the neurologist’s visits, O’Donnell declared the issue closed.
"The grotesque behavioral overreaction by the White House press corps today, most, not all, of the White House press corps, was on display on video. It has now been answered in full and completely by Dr. O’Connor, President Biden’s physician in the White House. So that controversy is done," O’Donnell said.
Despite defending Jean-Pierre for not confirming Cannard’s name, O’Donnell acknowledged Cannard’s name was listed in the public White House visitor logs. However, he used this information to attack former President Trump for not making visitor logs public.
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"How many times did a neurologist visit the Trump White House? The White House press corps has no idea and will never know, because the Trump White House never, ever released the White House visitor logs. How many cardiologists visited the White House during Donald Trump’s time there? We have no idea, because the Trump White House hid all of that information," O’Donnell said.