'Just political rhetoric?' KJP on defense over Biden's peaceful transfer vow after claiming Trump threatens democracy

On Thursday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre faced the press for the first time since the election results were announced. During the briefing, multiple reporters challenged her regarding President Joe Biden's earlier comments about President-elect Donald Trump.

Before Trump's victory on Tuesday, Biden frequently warned Americans that Trump posed a threat to democracy. With the election outcome, the Biden administration has now vowed a peaceful transfer of power to the incoming Trump administration.

'I do not appreciate having my words twisted.'

Jean-Pierre was pressed about Biden's role in the Democratic Party's Tuesday defeat. Reporters asked the press secretary whether the president regretted stepping down in favor of Vice President Kamala Harris and whether he felt responsible for the loss.

Jean-Pierre placed a majority of the blame on "global headwinds."

"Despite all of the accomplishments that we were able to get done, there were global headwinds because of the COVID-19 pandemic," she claimed. "And it had a political toll on many incumbents, if you look at what happened in 2024 globally. And that's part of what you saw."

Reporters questioned Jean-Pierre about Biden's views on Trump before and after the election.

"The president repeatedly referred to Donald Trump as a threat to democracy over and over again. And this morning, though, he said we're all going to be okay. So was that just political rhetoric?" NBC News' Gabe Gutierrez asked.

Jean-Pierre replied, "If you know the president, you know that him saying we're all going to be okay, he's an optimist, right? He believes when you get knocked down, you get back up. We are — we, we, we lost. But we're not defeated, right?"

"The president believes — uh, as, as you asked me about the threat to democracy — uh, believes in — being an obligation to be honest to the American people," she continued.

Jean-Pierre claimed that Trump had "talked about an enemy within," "mistreating Americans who disagree with him," and "terminating the Constitution." She brought up comments by Trump's former Chief of Staff John Kelly and former Defense Secretary Mark Esper.

"To be clear, he still believes Donald Trump is a threat to democracy?" Gutierrez asked.

"I think that the president was very clear, what he stated, and was very honest," she replied. "Right now, we want to move forward, and we want to make sure there's a peaceful transfer of power. That's what the American people deserve."

Another reporter asked Jean-Pierre whether Biden still stands by his comments about Trump being "an existential threat to democracy."

"I don't have anything else to share beyond what I said," she responded.

Fox News senior White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich said to the press secretary, "This administration's message to millions of Americans that they're going to wake up [the] day after the election, if Trump won, and have their rights stripped away, that democracy would crumble. And the president said today we're going to be okay. So how do you square that?"

"I can square that," Jean-Pierre replied, stating that she had already answered the question multiple times. "The American people made the decision."

Heinrich asked Jean-Pierre what the message is to "people who are fearful based on" Biden's previous comments about Trump.

"Well, now you're just twisting everything around, and that's really unfair. No, it is, no, no, no, Jacqui, it's unfair because I've been standing here trying to be very respectful to what happened the last two nights, two nights ago," Jean-Pierre said.

She appeared frustrated by the line of questioning, adding, "I do not appreciate having my words twisted."

Moments later, Jean-Pierre closed her binder and ended the presser.

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