‘Grab Hold Of Something!’ Air Force One Lands Live During Karine Jean-Pierre’s Historic First Briefing

Principal Deputy White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre became the first Black woman to hold a briefing in a generation, and the first one ever to do so live aboard Air Force One — and while the plane was landing, to boot!

Jean-Pierre isn’t the first Black woman to brief on behalf of a U.S. president — that distinction belongs to Judy Smith, who did so as a deputy press secretary for President George H.W. Bush in the pre-televised era of 1991. Smith was also a basis for the Scandal character Olivia Pope.

Since then, there have been several Black men who have conducted briefings, but Wednesday’s gaggle aboard the presidential plane marked the first time a briefing led by a Black woman was carried live. And right toward the end, Jean-Pierre had to pause her answer about President Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan to brace for landing:

Q  So the President’s plan includes taxes over 15 years to pay for spending over 8 years. Would he be open to, you know, not paying for some of this — for some of this to be, you know, deficit spending? Is that something that he’s open to if that’s what Democrats, in particular, want to do, as we’re already hearing from some progressives?

JEAN-PIERRE: Well, he believes this should be paid for, which is why he included this in his plan.

AIDE: The airplane has (inaudible) for landing.

JEAN-PIERRE: Oh, all right.

AIDE: So brace yourselves, I guess.

JEAN-PIERRE: All right. (Laughs.)

Q Grab hold of something.

JEAN-PIERRE: Oh, my gosh.

(Air Force One lands.) (Laughter.)

(Cross-talk.)

So, Jen, he basically has always said that this should be paid for.

Since the gaggle was audio-only, Jean-Pierre still has another first to look forward to if and when she takes the podium in the Brady Briefing Room to give her first televised briefing. This past Saturday, MSNBC host Tiffany Cross asked Jean-Pierre when she thinks that will happen.

Jean-Pierre used the question as an opportunity to praise White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki and her other colleagues, and told Cross “my time will come.”

Listen to KJP landing the plane above via The White House.