WATCH: Reporter Bluntly Asks Jean-Pierre If Biden’s Considering a Staff Shakeup Amid ‘Underwater’ Polling
CBS News Senior White House correspondent Ed O’Keefe bluntly asked White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre if President Joe Biden was considering a shakeup of his staff at a briefing on Monday.
“I suspect that if we polled the room, many of us would probably ask some version of the following question: Given the president’s sagging poll numbers and the fact that he is currently placing behind any Republican opponent, has there been any talk in this White House about a change in strategy or staffing going forward in reflection of those numbers that continue to show him underwater?” inquired O’Keefe.
“No,” replied Jean-Pierre tersely.
“And there was also a call out in recent weeks to staff, senior officials, and if you wanna go by the end of they year, go — otherwise you’re here for the duration of the rest of the term — is there, should we be anticipating any departures of either Cabinet officials or other senior officials,” asked O’Keefe in a follow-up.
“Look, I can’t speak to people’s personal decisions, I just don’t,” began Jean-Pierre in her response. “We don’t have anything to announce at this time and, you know, we’re going to continue to do the work that the president’s set out to do and we just talked about supply chains, we just talked about the economy, we’ve been talking about the president’s leadership globally, especially in the Middle East.”
“That’s what we’re here to do and focus on. That’s what I’m here to do and focus on — I just can’t speak to people’s decisions,” she concluded.
The RealClearPolitics average of recent polls indicates that Biden’s approval rating remains dismal, with just 40.7% of voters approving of his performance as commander-in-chief and 55.4% disapproving.
Biden trails former President Donald Trump by 2.6% in a hypothetical general election matchup, according to RealClearPolitics. He would also be defeated by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former Ambassador Nikki Haley were either to supplant Trump as the Republican nominee, per most surveys.
