WATCH: Jean-Pierre Defends Biden’s ‘Jim Crow 2.0’ Remark When Reporter Keeps Citing High Georgia Turnout

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre defended President Joe Biden‘s remark calling Georgia voting laws “Jim Crow 2.0” when a reporter repeatedly cited high early turnout as evidence against the existence of voter suppression in the state.

At Tuesday’s press briefing, USA Today White House correspondent Joey Garrison asked Jean-Pierre if President Biden was “wrong” to refer to Georgia’s voting restrictions as “Jim Crow 2.0” during a speech in January.

Garrison repeatedly cited high early voter turnout as a reason to doubt the existence of voter suppression in the state, but Jean-Pierre repeatedly disputed him:

JOEY GARRISON: Thank you. President Biden last year likened the new Georgia voting law to, quote, “Jim Crow in the 21st century.” But turnout so far in the state’s elections has smashed midterm records. Today topped 1 million votes overall. That’s about 70 percent more than 2018, on par with the presidential election turnout.

Was President Biden wrong with his assessment of Georgia’s — Georgia’s voting law, or does he stand by that Jim Crow comparison?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, as you know, I got to be careful; I cannot get into politics from here, so I won’t comment specifically on that race or on the elections or the data that’s coming out of Georgia.

But the President has been very clear that based on the — the Big Lie, there have been a host of anti-voter policies forced on states that challenge America’s fundament- — fundamental right to vote — right? — the access to voting.

And so this is — this is against our most basic values, including respect for the law and the Constitution. And speaking generally, of course — more broadly — of course, high turnout and voter suppression can take place at the same time. They don’t have to be — one doesn’t have to happen on its own. They could be happening at the same time.

But I’ll leave it there without being able to really dig into the politics of this.

JOEY GARRISON: Is the White House observing instances of voter suppression in Georgia and other states that adopted some of these laws over the last two years?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, we — we have seen, ourselves — I just laid out we’ve seen ourselves from what legislation — state legislations that we have seen across the country that is suppressing the right to vote.

And, look, we believe that people should have the fundamental access to voting.

As you know, very early in this administration, the President signed an executive order on how he can — what he can do from the federal level to make voting easier for the — for the American people. He did that on the anniversary of Selma — the mar- — the march that we know the icon John Lewis helped to lead. And he wanted to make sure that he took action and not just words.

So, as you know, the President is very attuned to this. But, again, I don’t want to get into specifics of what is currently happening in one race. But, again, this is something that we have seen throughout — throughout this past couple of years on how voting — the access to voting is being attacked.

JOEY GARRISON: But doesn’t that record turnout show that Georgia voters are finding ways to vote, even amid the — with the (inaudible)?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, again, I’m not going to get into specifics of what Georgia voters are doing. What I am saying is that, you know, generally speaking, again — more broadly speaking, of course — high turnout and voter suppression can take place at the same time.

Watch the full exchange above via C-SPAN.