‘MAGA Extremist?’ NBC Reporter Throws Biden’s Past Slams of New Pro-Trump Speaker In Jean-Pierre’s Face at Briefing

NBC News White House correspondent Peter Alexander threw President Joe Biden’s past criticisms of pro-Trump Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) in White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre’s face.

Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) was elected speaker of the House Wednesday after 23 days of chaos and despite a record of supporting ex-President Donald Trump’s attempt to overthrow the 2020 election.

President Biden released a warm statement after the news, but his past comments — and his campaign’s current ones — aren’t so warm.

At Thursday’s White House press briefing, Alexander cited Biden’s past criticisms and Johnson’s record, asking if they’re still a concern:

Q If I can ask you very quickly about the new House Speaker, who is apparently in the building as we speak right now. Does the President view Speaker Mike Johnson as a MAGA extremist?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, I would have to let the Speaker speak for himself. Obviously, he has — I think he has defined himself as — that way. So, he’s going to have to answer that — that question for himself.

What we can say is, we want to get — we want to move forward on making sure that we get the work done on behalf of the American people. The President is willing to do that in a good-fa- — -faith fashion, as we have been able to do that on many bipartisan laws now that the President was able to push through Congress with Democrats and — and Republicans. That’s what we want to see.

Q And just to be clear, I asked that because —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q — the President last month when he was speaking at the — in Arizona and honoring his late friend John McCain said, “Their extreme agenda,” referring to members of what he described the “MAGA Republican extremists” — “Their extreme agenda, if carried out, [will] fundamentally alter the institutions of American democracy — American democracy as we know it.” Does that concern to — does that concern apply to Speaker Mike Johnson given the leading role he played in trying to overturn the election in 2020?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, the — the Speaker has spoken to — to it himself, publicly, about his — where he sees his views ideologically. I’m not going to get ahead of that. And also, I’m not going to prejudge. I’m just not going to prejudge what the relationship is going to be like now that he’s Speaker. I’m just not —

Q Which is to say that: So, what he did in the past, you’re willing to —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: It’s — it’s —

Q — relieve that if — if he acts in good faith going forward?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: It — we — we want to make sure that — the President wants to make sure that we get the business of the American people done. There is so much to get done, which — I was just asked about the national security supplemental; we need to get that done, right?

We need to make sure in 21 days there is not a shutdown. And that is the job — right? — of Congress to make sure that they get that done.

Look, there is — the moment that we’re in right now should not be about partisanship. Americans — the American people don’t want to see that. They want to see us work in a bipartisan way.

The President, as you know, is a president that believes in bipartisanship. He believes on bringing both sides together. He has done that in the last two years. And so, he wanted — he wants to continue that.

But as far as the speakership, look, we’re going to see how that goes. That is — I’m not going to prejudge what that relationship is going to look like moving forward.

Watch above via The White House.