Will Desiree Rogers Be The White House’s Next Van Jones?

Q And one other topic. Is Desiree Rogers going to go to Capitol Hill tomorrow and testify? She’s been invited. Has she made a decision?

MR. GIBBS: No — well, first of all, I think that — obviously there’s an ongoing assessment and investigation by the Secret Service into what happened I guess a little more than a week ago. We are working with and are ready to work with anybody that has questions on that. I think you know that, based on the separation of powers, staff here don’t go to testify in front of Congress. She won’t — she will not be testifying in front of Congress tomorrow.

Let me add on to this. One of the — as the Secret Service has reviewed their security procedures for how people get into this complex, so, too, has the White House looked at its procedures.

Q So you guys have done your own review?

MR. GIBBS: We have done an assessment.

Q But how —

MR. GIBBS: Hold on, let me — you guys are impatient today. One of the things that — and I mentioned this yesterday in interviews that I did on all of your television shows — was that we would assess whether or not all of what we were doing was being done in support of what the Secret Service has to do as part of their mission of keeping this complex safe.

Last night was the first of many holiday parties that will happen in this complex over the next several weeks. We had staff at the security checkpoint to ensure that if there was any confusion about lists, those would be double-checked with somebody representing the Social Office. That was an assessment made based on something that we believed could have been added, and we’ve made those changes as of last night.

Q Follow up, Robert, on that?

MR. GIBBS: Yes, ma’am.

Q Has there been any concerns about Desiree Rogers’ performance prior to this instance?

MR. GIBBS: No.

Q No one has questioned the President or told the President that she is a very last-minute person, poor planner?

MR. GIBBS: No, I think you — you all have been to and seen, either whether you’re part of a pool, whether some of you have been to receptions, the remarkable work that they have done in pulling off a lot of events here. The First Family is quite pleased with her performance, and I’ve heard nothing uttered of what you talk about.

Q Well, what about the issues of her being in fashion spreads early on in the administration? Did you put the brakes on that? I mean, that is — it’s been raised, it’s now public, you saw it in the magazines, her pictorals. You saw her on the cover —

MR. GIBBS: I get Sports Illustrated at my house. I don’t — I don’t get —

Q But could you talk — seriously, could you talk about that? I mean, was there a concern in this White House that she came out being — some might have called here the belle of the ball, overshadowing the First Lady at the beginning —

MR. GIBBS: I don’t know who “some” are. I’ve never heard that.

Q Well, it’s been bantered around Washington, and it’s been in circles — Democratic circles as well as Republican circles, high-ranking people.

MR. GIBBS: April, that’s not a station I live in in life —

Q — administrations as well.

MR. GIBBS: No, I understand.

Q Just answer the question, please.

MR. GIBBS: Are you done speaking so I can?

Q Oh, yes, I’m done now, yes.

MR. GIBBS: Excellent. I’ve not heard any of that criticism. I’ve not read any of that criticism. The President, the First Lady, and the entire White House staff are grateful for the job that she does and think she has done a terrific and wonderful job pulling off a lot of big and important events here at the White House.

Q Did she invite herself to the state dinner or was she a guest — did the President invite her, or did she put her — no, that’s a real — do not fan it off. I’m serious — no, seriously.

MR. GIBBS: Jonathan.

Q No, no, no, did she invite herself, or did the President ask her — her name was on that list, and social secretaries are the ones who put the names on the list. Did she invite herself or did the President —

MR. GIBBS: Was she at the dinner? April, April, calm down. Just take a deep breath for one second. See? This happens with my son, he does the same thing.

Q Oooh —

Q Don’t play with me, I’m being serious. Do not blow it off.

MR. GIBBS: And I’m giving you a serious answer. Was she at the dinner? Yes.

Q Was she an invited guest?

MR. GIBBS: She’s the social secretary. She had the primary —

Q Social secretaries are not guests of the dinner.

MR. GIBBS: She is the primary — for running the dinner. I’m going to get back to weightier topics like 98,000 men and women in Afghanistan.

Jonathan, take us away.

Q All right, April, please forgive me if I ask this question.