WH Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre Slams GOP For ‘Cynically Trying to Use Our Kids As A Political Football’

White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre slammed Republicans on Thursday over “trying to use our kids as a political football” when it comes to the issue of education amid pushback against curriculum including critical race theory – a theme leading up to the Virginia gubernatorial election, which was won by Republican Glenn Youngkin.

“To what degree do you think race was a driving issue in Virginia and around the country given Republicans repeatedly focused on critical race theory,” asked a reporter during the White House press briefing.

Jean-Pierre provided a multifaceted response:

So, look, America, as you heard the president say before, is a great country and great countries are honest, right? They have to be honest with themselves about history, which is good and the bad. And our kids should be proud to be Americans after learning that history. The president certainly is.

Fundamentally, we believe a school’s curriculum isn’t a federal decision. It’s rightly up to communities around the country. The parents, the school, the school boards, the teachers and the administrators. And that means politicians should not be dictating what our kids are being taught.

But we also need to be honest about what’s going on here. Republicans are lying. They’re not being honest. They’re not being truthful about where we stand and they’re cynically trying to use our kids as a political football. They’re talking about our kids when it’s election season, but they won’t vote for them when it matters.

You know, Republicans did not vote for the American Rescue Plan. The American Rescue Plan, in that plan, it had funding to make sure that schools open. To make sure that our kids got back to school. And they didn’t vote for that. And that was a key component of the American Rescue Plan. We know how important it is to make sure that our kids have in-person learning for their mental well-being and also so that they can actually learn. And so that is something that the Republicans refuse, absolutely refuse, to vote for. So we gotta be honest here and they’re not being honest or credibly being dishonest.

Watch above, via CSPAN.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet Newsletter
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!