The Shell Game of Corrupted Government Exposed
Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre
And as far as what the President is going to say tonight, we've talked about this. When he talks about the "soul of the nation," this is a - this is not a topic that is new to him. If you follow - if you followed him throughout this administration, also through the campaign, this is a topic that he has talked about for some time, since 2017.
And the speech - just to give you a little bit about what the speech is going to be about - it's going to be optimistic. He will speak about how he believes we can get through this current moment - this critical moment that we are - we are currently in. He believes this is a moment where a lot is at stake. You'll hear him talk about the core values of what is at the stake in this moment, and how he - we and how he is going to continue to protect for - protect equality and democracy.
He will also talk about - in a very direct way about what he sees as a threat at this moment - in this - in time.
Basically, what Kevin McCarthy said on January 6th, 2021 - what Kevin McCarthy said on January 13th, 2021 - the threat of our democracy - that insurrection, that mob that we saw come - come down on the Capitol.
Q Just two quick follow-ups on that though. You're talking about Kevin McCarthy from - from that day. We've obviously seen, like you said, a pretty big change of heart from Leader McCarthy, you know, who has since really distanced himself from any investigation into January 6th. He really stood lockstep with the former President.
So, I guess, I'm asking about: What's the President's relationship and thoughts about Kevin McCarthy today? Does he can - does he have a relationship with him? I mean, he could very easily become the next Speaker of the House. Does he talk to him? Does - does he view Kevin McCarthy as one of these MAGA Republicans who -
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So here's -
Q - is a threat to democracy?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Here's what I'm going to say - you know, I've already laid out what I thought - what we think about - about - about Kevin McCarthy. We're not going to go into any more specifics on that.
This is - what we're talking about tonight is what the President's going to deliver to the American people and - and why it is important for - why he sees it's important to have this convers- - conversation, why it is so important for - to talk about what is at stake at this moment.
You know, when you ask me about the MAGA agenda, especially as it relates to Congress, as it relates to elected officials, it is one of the most extreme agendas that we have seen, and it is a part of the - it is the extreme part of the Republican Party.
And we're talking about: They want a nationwide ban on abortions. They want to give tax cuts to billionaires and corporations while raising taxes on middle-class Americans. They are threatening political violence, and they are attacking our democracy.
And so, the President is going to take this time to talk to the American people, who - the majority agree with him - and talk about, you know, how can we continue to fight for our democracy and do it in an optimistic way. Take that moment to give people hope, because this President believes that we can turn this around.
Go ahead.
Q Thanks, Karine. Is tonight a political speech?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No, it's not a political speech. This is an opportunity, again, for the President to directly have a conversation with the - with the - the American people.
Look, he's going to talk about - of course, he'll talk about the importance of engagement. He'll talk about voter - voter participation.
But this is a speech about such a broader subject: you know what it means to be a democracy and what it means to participate in our - in our democracy, given where we are as a nation. And he believes the stakes are very high and that it is important to go out and articulate what those stakes are and why it's important for people to participate in their democracy and, at the end of the day, why it is worth fighting for.
And that is what he's going to talk about tonight. That's what you're going to hear from him. And again, it's a broader subject about this moment that we're in currently.
Q Democrats and people on the left are pretty happy about the more aggressive tone they're seeing from the President and from the White House. But you're also facing some criticism, which has been brought up, that this aggressive tone is also stoking the divisiveness that he's trying to heal. Any concerns about that?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: You know, the President is never going to shy away from calling out what he sees. And I said this yesterday, and I - and I'll say this now. You know, I'm assuming the divisive tone is coming from - from whom?
Q From the right.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: From the right. So, look, we understand we hit a nerve. We get that. We understand that they're trying to hide. And we understand that ultra MAGA officeholders want to play games here and dodge accountability for their extreme proposals and actions, but they're just telling on themselves.
Look, the President has always, always squarely targeted his criticism on elected leaders. This is about what they're doing in Congress - those extreme MAGA Republicans, those who are - who hold office. The first time that the President said "ultra MAGA" was about Rick Scott's radical plan to raise taxes on millions of middle-class Americans and put Medicare on the chopping blocks, put Social Security on the chalking block.
I just mentioned national abortions - that ban that these MAGA Republicans want to do. It is important to call that out.
And let's not forget: When you think about Medicare, when you think about Social Security, those are popular things. When you think about Roe and protecting women's right to choose, those are - a majority of Americans support that.
So how - so that's what we're talking about here. We're talking about an agenda that is not popular. We're talking about an agenda that is incredibly extreme. We're talking about an agenda that is not in line where majority of Americans are.
So, yeah, the President is going to talk about that, and he's not going to shy away.
But again, this is going to be about - a speech that will be optimistic, that will talk about participating in our democracy and how important it is to do that and how important it is to continue to fight.
Q Just one quick Russia question. Does the White House have any intelligence or reaction to the death of the chairman of Lukoil, the second largest oil producer in Russia? He'd been a criti- - he apparently died after falling out of a hospital window and was a critic of the war in Ukraine.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I'm - I don't have a comment on that. We're certainly not going to get into any speculation on - on how he died.
Go ahead.
Q Thanks, Karine. Going back to Jackson. Yesterday, you detailed, kind of, the myriad of federal funding sources that could be used to address what they're dealing with right now. Are there any concerns, however, about - you know, there's a difference between allocation and the money actually arriving in certain places - about the process for Jackson to access that funding once the federal government has allocated it and perhaps the state is dealing with the contracts, with the grant applications?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, you're talking about the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the American Rescue Plan?
Q Yeah.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So we - we have put real emphasis on making it easier for state and local governments to access the federal funding. That is something that's been important in this administration to do. That's one reason we asked every state to appoint a state infrastructure coordinator to help streamline communications and information flow.
And the White House infrastructure implementation team has also been engaging directly with state and local governments and Tribal governments to help them quickly access the necessary technical assistance and capacity to underserved communities in particular.
So we have also partnered with nonprofit organizations to assist communities in assessing and deploying federal infrastructure funding, including Bloomberg Philanthropies, Emerson Collective, Ford Foundation, and others, and so much more.
Our goal is to help, again, state, local, Tribal, territory - territorial governments navigate, access, and deploy infrastructure resources that will build a better America. This is why the President fought so hard to get this Bipartisan Infrastructure Law - a law that is historical and will make - and will change - and will change the lives of so many Americans.
Q So, is it the view that because of what you guys have done that Jackson has had the access or the ability to tap into the funds you've allocated to the degree they need in this moment in time?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, again, we're - our goal is to make it as easy as we can for state and local governments to access those funds. We're going to - we have an implemation [sic] - implemate - implementation team, as I just spoke about, and we're going to continue to work with state and local governments. There's also not-for-profits on the ground and other organizations that we will work through.
And our hope is to make sure that the people of Jackson have what they need.
And, again, we've been in constant communication these past couple of days, with the mayor of Jackson, with local officials. The director [Administrator] of FEMA, Criswell, is going - will be there tomorrow.
So, as you have seen us in times like these, when there is catastrophe, sadly, in the states, we have - the federal government has acted quickly in order to help the people in that - in that community and that state.
Q And then, one more quick one - just with Jobs Day coming up. This may sound a little bit paradoxical, but stick with me here. Given the robust, kind of, aggressiveness of the Fed Chair in Jackson Hole, is there any concern that perhaps a better-than-expected jobs report will create an economic response from the Fed that drives something that the White House does not want?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, as you know, Phil, we don't comment on the - what - what the Fed is going to do. Part of our fighting inflation - the plan that the President has put forth - is to give them their independence to make the monetary decision to deal with inflation that we see across the country.
And, again, we believe, like, they have the best monetary plans, policies to make that happen.
As it relates to the jobs - the jobs report - I spoke about this a couple times already - look, you know, I don't want to get ahead of the numbers tomorrow. We have been very clear that we see that the economy is in transition after a historic economic growth that we saw last year. And we believe that we can continue those gains.
But again, we're in a transition into a more stable and steady - a steady growth. We won't see - we believe we won't see those 600,000 numbers that we have seen for some time. And - and that that number is going to be a - it's going to cool a little bit. You've heard us say that. And so that's our anticipation, which we think is where the economy is going.
But, again, we have a strong labor market, which is important. Consumer spending is - is up. We see business investing - all of those things are critically important. And so we're going to look at all the economic data, but certainly not - I'm not going to get ahead of the jobs numbers for tomorrow.
Go ahead, Zolan.
Go Back
And the speech - just to give you a little bit about what the speech is going to be about - it's going to be optimistic. He will speak about how he believes we can get through this current moment - this critical moment that we are - we are currently in. He believes this is a moment where a lot is at stake. You'll hear him talk about the core values of what is at the stake in this moment, and how he - we and how he is going to continue to protect for - protect equality and democracy.
He will also talk about - in a very direct way about what he sees as a threat at this moment - in this - in time.
Basically, what Kevin McCarthy said on January 6th, 2021 - what Kevin McCarthy said on January 13th, 2021 - the threat of our democracy - that insurrection, that mob that we saw come - come down on the Capitol.
Q Just two quick follow-ups on that though. You're talking about Kevin McCarthy from - from that day. We've obviously seen, like you said, a pretty big change of heart from Leader McCarthy, you know, who has since really distanced himself from any investigation into January 6th. He really stood lockstep with the former President.
So, I guess, I'm asking about: What's the President's relationship and thoughts about Kevin McCarthy today? Does he can - does he have a relationship with him? I mean, he could very easily become the next Speaker of the House. Does he talk to him? Does - does he view Kevin McCarthy as one of these MAGA Republicans who -
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So here's -
Q - is a threat to democracy?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Here's what I'm going to say - you know, I've already laid out what I thought - what we think about - about - about Kevin McCarthy. We're not going to go into any more specifics on that.
This is - what we're talking about tonight is what the President's going to deliver to the American people and - and why it is important for - why he sees it's important to have this convers- - conversation, why it is so important for - to talk about what is at stake at this moment.
You know, when you ask me about the MAGA agenda, especially as it relates to Congress, as it relates to elected officials, it is one of the most extreme agendas that we have seen, and it is a part of the - it is the extreme part of the Republican Party.
And we're talking about: They want a nationwide ban on abortions. They want to give tax cuts to billionaires and corporations while raising taxes on middle-class Americans. They are threatening political violence, and they are attacking our democracy.
And so, the President is going to take this time to talk to the American people, who - the majority agree with him - and talk about, you know, how can we continue to fight for our democracy and do it in an optimistic way. Take that moment to give people hope, because this President believes that we can turn this around.
Go ahead.
Q Thanks, Karine. Is tonight a political speech?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No, it's not a political speech. This is an opportunity, again, for the President to directly have a conversation with the - with the - the American people.
Look, he's going to talk about - of course, he'll talk about the importance of engagement. He'll talk about voter - voter participation.
But this is a speech about such a broader subject: you know what it means to be a democracy and what it means to participate in our - in our democracy, given where we are as a nation. And he believes the stakes are very high and that it is important to go out and articulate what those stakes are and why it's important for people to participate in their democracy and, at the end of the day, why it is worth fighting for.
And that is what he's going to talk about tonight. That's what you're going to hear from him. And again, it's a broader subject about this moment that we're in currently.
Q Democrats and people on the left are pretty happy about the more aggressive tone they're seeing from the President and from the White House. But you're also facing some criticism, which has been brought up, that this aggressive tone is also stoking the divisiveness that he's trying to heal. Any concerns about that?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: You know, the President is never going to shy away from calling out what he sees. And I said this yesterday, and I - and I'll say this now. You know, I'm assuming the divisive tone is coming from - from whom?
Q From the right.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: From the right. So, look, we understand we hit a nerve. We get that. We understand that they're trying to hide. And we understand that ultra MAGA officeholders want to play games here and dodge accountability for their extreme proposals and actions, but they're just telling on themselves.
Look, the President has always, always squarely targeted his criticism on elected leaders. This is about what they're doing in Congress - those extreme MAGA Republicans, those who are - who hold office. The first time that the President said "ultra MAGA" was about Rick Scott's radical plan to raise taxes on millions of middle-class Americans and put Medicare on the chopping blocks, put Social Security on the chalking block.
I just mentioned national abortions - that ban that these MAGA Republicans want to do. It is important to call that out.
And let's not forget: When you think about Medicare, when you think about Social Security, those are popular things. When you think about Roe and protecting women's right to choose, those are - a majority of Americans support that.
So how - so that's what we're talking about here. We're talking about an agenda that is not popular. We're talking about an agenda that is incredibly extreme. We're talking about an agenda that is not in line where majority of Americans are.
So, yeah, the President is going to talk about that, and he's not going to shy away.
But again, this is going to be about - a speech that will be optimistic, that will talk about participating in our democracy and how important it is to do that and how important it is to continue to fight.
Q Just one quick Russia question. Does the White House have any intelligence or reaction to the death of the chairman of Lukoil, the second largest oil producer in Russia? He'd been a criti- - he apparently died after falling out of a hospital window and was a critic of the war in Ukraine.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I'm - I don't have a comment on that. We're certainly not going to get into any speculation on - on how he died.
Go ahead.
Q Thanks, Karine. Going back to Jackson. Yesterday, you detailed, kind of, the myriad of federal funding sources that could be used to address what they're dealing with right now. Are there any concerns, however, about - you know, there's a difference between allocation and the money actually arriving in certain places - about the process for Jackson to access that funding once the federal government has allocated it and perhaps the state is dealing with the contracts, with the grant applications?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, you're talking about the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the American Rescue Plan?
Q Yeah.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So we - we have put real emphasis on making it easier for state and local governments to access the federal funding. That is something that's been important in this administration to do. That's one reason we asked every state to appoint a state infrastructure coordinator to help streamline communications and information flow.
And the White House infrastructure implementation team has also been engaging directly with state and local governments and Tribal governments to help them quickly access the necessary technical assistance and capacity to underserved communities in particular.
So we have also partnered with nonprofit organizations to assist communities in assessing and deploying federal infrastructure funding, including Bloomberg Philanthropies, Emerson Collective, Ford Foundation, and others, and so much more.
Our goal is to help, again, state, local, Tribal, territory - territorial governments navigate, access, and deploy infrastructure resources that will build a better America. This is why the President fought so hard to get this Bipartisan Infrastructure Law - a law that is historical and will make - and will change - and will change the lives of so many Americans.
Q So, is it the view that because of what you guys have done that Jackson has had the access or the ability to tap into the funds you've allocated to the degree they need in this moment in time?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, again, we're - our goal is to make it as easy as we can for state and local governments to access those funds. We're going to - we have an implemation [sic] - implemate - implementation team, as I just spoke about, and we're going to continue to work with state and local governments. There's also not-for-profits on the ground and other organizations that we will work through.
And our hope is to make sure that the people of Jackson have what they need.
And, again, we've been in constant communication these past couple of days, with the mayor of Jackson, with local officials. The director [Administrator] of FEMA, Criswell, is going - will be there tomorrow.
So, as you have seen us in times like these, when there is catastrophe, sadly, in the states, we have - the federal government has acted quickly in order to help the people in that - in that community and that state.
Q And then, one more quick one - just with Jobs Day coming up. This may sound a little bit paradoxical, but stick with me here. Given the robust, kind of, aggressiveness of the Fed Chair in Jackson Hole, is there any concern that perhaps a better-than-expected jobs report will create an economic response from the Fed that drives something that the White House does not want?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, as you know, Phil, we don't comment on the - what - what the Fed is going to do. Part of our fighting inflation - the plan that the President has put forth - is to give them their independence to make the monetary decision to deal with inflation that we see across the country.
And, again, we believe, like, they have the best monetary plans, policies to make that happen.
As it relates to the jobs - the jobs report - I spoke about this a couple times already - look, you know, I don't want to get ahead of the numbers tomorrow. We have been very clear that we see that the economy is in transition after a historic economic growth that we saw last year. And we believe that we can continue those gains.
But again, we're in a transition into a more stable and steady - a steady growth. We won't see - we believe we won't see those 600,000 numbers that we have seen for some time. And - and that that number is going to be a - it's going to cool a little bit. You've heard us say that. And so that's our anticipation, which we think is where the economy is going.
But, again, we have a strong labor market, which is important. Consumer spending is - is up. We see business investing - all of those things are critically important. And so we're going to look at all the economic data, but certainly not - I'm not going to get ahead of the jobs numbers for tomorrow.
Go ahead, Zolan.
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