‘Hold On, Everybody, We’ll Make It Through’: Turbulence Tosses Air Force One During Karine Jean-Pierre Briefing

Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre kept her cool as turbulence repeatedly rocked Air Force One during a press briefing en route to Colorado.

Tuesday’s gaggle began uneventfully, as KJP punted a question about the bombshell Mark Milley reporting to the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Department of Defense, and detailed the preparations for this weekend’s pro-insurrectionist rally.

But then, this happened:

Q At the U.N. next week, is the President planning a COVID summit — a virtual COVID summit to set a vaccination target rate of 70 percent worldwide?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: (Air Force One experiences turbulence.) Thanks — wow, it’s getting bumpy. (Laughter.) Okay, hold on, everybody. We’ll make it through.

Jean-Pierre then continued her response without missing a beat.

A few minutes later, KJP’s answer to a question about climate change was interrupted so she could tell everyone to hold on once more:

So, climate change — he talked about this; we’re in code red — is a real — (turbulence on plane) — sorry, it’s really bumpy. Hold on, everybody. (Laughs.) And this administration feels we can play a key role in preventing it from getting worse.

And a short time later, Jean-Pierre and a reporter remarked on the rough flight as the plane landed:

Q One last thing on climate change, given that that’s a focus of today: Does the White House intend to announce anything formally soon about the President’s either in-person or virtual participation in COP26?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I don’t have anything to announce today on any participation by the President (inaudible).

But we are landing, folks.

Q Hold on.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Hold on. It has been a rocky, rocky road. All right, thanks, everybody. I’ll see you on the ground.

This isn’t KJP’s first rodeo. The presidential plane experienced a rough landing in mid-question during her first live AF1 gaggle in April — after which she finished answering the question.

Listen above via The White House.