NBC Reporter At Briefing Asks If Biden Admin Making Trump Security ‘More Vulnerable’ By Not Talking About Indictment

NBC News White House correspondent Kelly O’Donnell asked Biden NSC Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby if the Biden administration’s policy of silence about ex-President Donald Trump’s bombshell indictment makes security around his court appearances “more vulnerable.”

Since news of Trump’s indictment on 37 counts for violating the Espionage Act broke, President Joe Biden and his administration have been strict in saying as little as possible in response to the inevitable barrages of questions.

Kirby joined White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre at Monday’s press briefing, during which several reporters took cracks at jarring loose a quote with some new or novel premise.

Among them was O’Donnell, who wondered if the wall of silence could have a negative impact on preparations for potential violence when Trump goes to court on Tuesday:

KELLY O’DONNELL: Given the events in Miami tomorrow, we all understand that this administration has tried — or at least this White House has tried to distance itself from anything related to the Trump indictment. But if this were a different defendant and a different set of facts, there would always be some oversight from the White House or concerns about larger security issues outside of the courtroom — you know, the kinds of event-related things.

Is the White House monitoring that, in terms of homeland security, beyond just at DHS headquarters or just at DOJ? So is there the normal interface?

And my larger question is: Because you’re trying to not talk about it, does that make this more vulnerable to not have the oversight from the White House or the resources or the attention to it?

MR. KIRBY: Does it make security more vulnerable because —

KELLY O’DONNELL: The White House is trying to stay out of it.

MR. KIRBY: The short answer that, Kelly, is no. I mean, look, without getting into the specifics of this case — I won’t do that — of course, we are — we maintain, as a routine matter — every day, we maintain connective tissue with state and local authorities for any potential of civic disturbances that could turn violent.

So we — that connective tissue still exists. It exists right now; it exists today. And we’ll keep it going.

But I won’t be able to speak with any more granularity about what security precautions might be taking place down there. But as a matter of course and standard procedure, we stay in touch with state and local authorities as appropriate.

KELLY O’DONNELL: So the Sit Room would monitor things tomorrow, like it would any other —

MR. KIRBY: We — like any other issue, we would certainly be paying close attention and making sure that, to the degree that federal assistance is needed, you know, that it’s provided. But, again, I — I don’t want to go beyond that, and I don’t want to speculate about what might or might not happen tomorrow.

Watch above via The White House.