Jean-Pierre Pressed About Not Naming Fox, Others Who Push Replacement Theory: ‘The People Who Spread This Filth Know Who They Are’
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was pressed to explain why the White House won’t call out by name the people promoting racist theories of the sort that inspired the Buffalo mass shooter.
Fox News host Tucker Carlson was named at Monday’s press briefing, and there are a host of other Republican personalities, elected officials, and candidates who have publicly espoused versions of “replacement theory” — the racist ideology cited by the Buffalo mass shooting suspect — an 18 year-old white man named Payton Gendron.
When asked about Carlson specifically — and others more broadly — Jean-Pierre offered several lengthy responses that apparently did not put the question to rest. Jean-Pierre briefed reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Buffalo on Tuesday, and was once again pressed to explain.
Jean-Pierre replied that “the people who spread this filth know who they are, and they should be ashamed of themselves”:
Q And also, yesterday, you were asked a couple of times about whether or not certain commentators and media, whether or not certain members of the Republican Party as well should share some blame in amplifying “replacement theory.” It seems like the administration at this point is not calling out by name some of those people that have, in fact, amplified that theory.
Can you walk through the thinking of the President and the White House of why this is not a time and why it’s not effective to call them out? Or do you feel that it’s not effective, and will you call them out by name?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So the people who spread this filth know who they are, and they should be ashamed of themselves. But I’m not going to give them or — give them or their obnoxious ideas they’re pushing the attention that they desperately want.
So, the President has already called out this — this poisonous, false, hateful ideology, including on Saturday and Sunday, saying, “Any act of domestic terrorism, including an act perpetrated in the name of a repugnant white nationalist ideology, is antithetical to everything we stand for in America” and that “We must all work together to address the hate that remains a stain on the soul of America.”
Every leader should condemn that hate and certainly not echo it. We’re going to focus on what unites us as Americans. That’s going to be what we’re focusing on.
Q So we should anticipate, in that case, as a follow to this, that we won’t hear that from the President today either?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I mean, just to reiterate, Jonathan, I’m not going to give them a platform. So, I just want to make that very clear.
But we’re going to make our case directly to the people. We have a vision for this country — one where we combat hate, racism, and violence.
We denounce white racism and domestic terror. We hope all will join us in denouncing hate and racism, as well as the conspiracy theories that run rampant online.
For today, as I stated earlier, is I — the President and the First Lady are going to comfort the grieving victims and the families who lost their loved ones. And he’s going to listen to them, he’s going to talk to them, and he’s going to be there for them as their President.
Watch above via The White House.
