White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre sparked backlash after attempting to explain how there were reported incidents involving Chinese spy balloons during the Trump administration.
During a press briefing Monday, a reporter asked Jean-Pierre, “How is it possible that this administration discovered at least three previous balloons that flew over the U.S. under the previous administration, but Trump officials didn’t know it was happening?”
She replied, “Yeah, so, look, I think that — and we have talked about this before, about how the — when it — when the PRC government surveillance balloons transited the continental U.S. briefly at least three times, as you just mentioned, during the President’s — the prior administration and once that we know of the beginning of this administration’s.”
Jean-Pierre added, “But never for this duration of time, as we know.”
Watch her comments below:
REPORTER: "How is it possible that this administration discovered at least three previous balloons that flew over the US under the previous administration, but Trump officials didn't know it was happening?"
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) February 6, 2023
KJP: "Yeah, so, look, I think that uh, and we have talked about this…" pic.twitter.com/QE3tQK0TAi
Several Twitter users expressed their frustration with her remarks.
Former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker wrote, “What a load of crap.”
What a load of crap. https://t.co/Ler1mJ9yGw
— Scott Walker (@ScottWalker) February 6, 2023
One tweet suggested it is “like watching a train wreck. You just can’t look away.”
It's like watching a train wreck. You just can't look away. https://t.co/F6GbXZ0ual
— Kayla Blakeslee (@KHBlakeslee) February 7, 2023
Breitbart News’ Kristina Wong asked, “How could you be reading, and still screw up ‘prior’ and ‘post’ … ?”
How could you be reading, and still screw up “prior” and “post” … ? 😑 https://t.co/l0EXYYWwW1
— Kristina Wong 🇺🇸 (@kristina_wong) February 7, 2023
President of RealClearPolitics Tom Bevan asked, “Are you telling me there is not a single person in the administration who could do a better job that this?”
Are you telling me there is not a single person in the administration who could do a better job that this? https://t.co/nVUNK5AXWQ
— Tom Bevan (@TomBevanRCP) February 6, 2023
Check out more reactions below:
She is beyond incapable of this gig https://t.co/LGgmq4mJH1
— bbcornholio (@bbcornholio) February 7, 2023
Todays challenge: try to make sense of her answer 😂🤣😂🤣 This is such an underrated video https://t.co/SYnhRC00Pe
— Tanner Mireault (@TannerMireault) February 7, 2023
https://twitter.com/OrthoTraumaGuy3/status/1622777058911784960
https://twitter.com/TheAlphaGru/status/1622724177785397248
Just incredible https://t.co/gIC8IU6qLe
— Brother Seamus (@WaynePelota) February 7, 2023
This is one of the most verbal diarrhea (I mean, TRY to diagram these sentences…) things you will see. I am including Kamala and Trump and Biden in my consideration. My Lord, #KJP. https://t.co/szwe8xLUKp
— Tripp Whitbeck (@trippwhitbeck) February 6, 2023
On Monday, The New York Times reported that the top military commander overseeing North American airspace shared there were some previous incidents involving Chinese spy balloons during former President Donald Trump’s administration but were not discovered at the time.
The Pentagon reportedly learned of them later on.
“I will tell you that we did not detect those threats, and that’s a domain awareness gap,” Gen. Glen D. VanHerck, the commander of the Pentagon’s Northern Command, told the Times.
Several U.S. officials shared one theory is some of the incursions were initially labeled “unidentified aerial phenomena” or U.F.O.s.
Jake Sullivan, the White House’s national security adviser, said the administration has “enhanced our capacity to be able to detect things that the Trump administration was unable to detect.”
After a Chinese spy balloon was detected off the coast of South Carolina over the weekend, a “senior defense official” claimed during a news briefing incursions were known to have happened at least “three times” during the Trump administration.
However, a senior administration official told CNN over the weekend that the three incidents were only made known after Biden took office.
Trump and former Defense Secretary Mark Esper reacted to the statement issued by the senior defense official.
Esper said he was “surprised” by the claim.
He added, “I don’t ever recall somebody coming into my office or reading anything that the Chinese had a surveillance balloon above the United States.”
Trump said on Truth Social reports of Chinese balloons during his administration were “fake disinformation.”