Jean-Pierre Laughs When Asked About Biden Visit To Longshot Challenger’s Home State: ‘I Wonder What You’re Getting At’

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre laughed as she anticipated a question about President Joe Biden’s visit to Minnesota — home state of longshot Democratic challenger Rep. Dean Phillips.

Phillips is the congressman who has launched a primary challenge against Biden based primarily on age, arguing that “President Biden has done a spectacular job for our country. But it’s not about the past. This is an election about the future.”

President Biden is traveling to Minnesota Wednesday in what is widely seen as a rejoinder to Phillips.

At Monday’s White House press briefing, a reporter asked about the trip, and Jean-Pierre laughed at the unspoken portion of the question — then repeated an earlier quip when a finer point was put on it:

Q Thanks. There are many states in the country with large rural areas. Why Minnesota?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Why Minnesota? (Laughs.) I wonder what you’re getting at in this question. (Laughter.)

Q I hadn’t gotten there yet. But, I mean, if you want to jump ahead, you can.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look — look, Minnesota is an important state that the President wanted to go and — and visit. Obviously, going to rural America — the President is a president for everyone — right? — not just urban America or rural America, red states, blue states, middle of America, over along the coast — the states that he’s visited.

So, this is an important — look, this is going to be incredibly important. We’re going to — the President is going to hear directly from the American people, talk about what he’s been doing investing in America, talking about the historic pieces of legislation that he’s been able to do that’s going to create good union paying jobs. It’s actually going to make a difference in this community that he’s visiting.

I’m not going to get ahead. He’ll lay out why he’s there and what — why it’s important for him to — to — to be in that particular community tomorrow.

But, look, you know, Minne- — the President loves Minnesota.

Q Does this have anything to do with the announced primary challenge of Congressman Dean Phillips of the great state of Minnesota?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I’m going to be very careful with the Hatch Act and not speak to any upcoming election — in this case, the presidential election in 2024.

I said this last week, and I’ll say this again: We are very proud of — or very thrilled and thankful to — to the Congressman for voting with the President almost 100 percent of the time in the last two years, and I’ll leave it there.

Watch above via The White House.

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