‘You’re Welcome!’ Biden Spox Kirby Draws Laugh Saying He’ll ‘Defer Most’ Docs Questions to Jean-Pierre — Then Answers a Bunch

NSC spokesman John Kirby drew a laugh when he said he’d “defer most questions” on President Joe Biden’s classified documents case to White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre — then proceeded to answer a bunch of them.

Amid three roiling cases of classified documents being found in private spaces, reporters have become accustomed to having nearly all of their questions referred to Senior Advisor to White House Counsel’s Office Ian Sams, who has briefed reporters twice so far. But Kirby loosened the lid a little on Wednesday.

At Wednesday’s White House briefing, Kirby was the opening act to discuss the decision to send U.S. tanks to Ukraine. When ABC News White House correspondent MaryAlice Parks asked about classified documents, Kirby drew a laugh when he told Jean-Pierre “You’re welcome!” for referring most such questions to her, but then proceeded to address several of them:

MARYALICE PARKS: There’s also been — if I could, really fast — there’s also bipartisan outrage and frustration over the last few days that there are just more and more disclosures of classified documents showing up in places where they were not supposed to be.

From a national security perspective — you work in national security — how concerned are you? And does this system need reform?

MR. KIRBY: I’m going to defer most of the document questions to Karine. The only thing I’d say here is that —

(Looks at Ms. Jean-Pierre.) You’re welcome.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Thank you. (Laughter.)

MR. KIRBY: The — obviously, the President, you’ve heard Karine say, takes the treatment of classified material seriously. I can assure you that everybody here does too. And the National Security Council staff, we deal with classified material every single day; you have to do that.

We all know what the rules are. We follow the rules. And the procedures exist for a reason. And they’ve been developed over many, many years as the nature of classified material has changed, now down — to now include electronic capability. And so, we’re working at that very, very hard.

I don’t have any changes to speak to. The — the process of classified material handling — you know, not “process,” but the guidelines change over time as technology changes. And we’re always reviewing those — those procedures to make sure that they’re fully appropriate.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Nandita.

NANDITA BOSE: Is there a problem then with over-classification?

MR. KIRBY: Is there a problem with —

NANDITA BOSE: Over-classification of documents.

MR. KIRBY: Look, I think — you know, it’s always a balance, and you’re always trying to meet that balance about whether things are classified appropriately. And the — the intelligence community works at this. Obviously, we work at this.

I wouldn’t go so far as to slap a Band-Aid on and say, “Yeah, everything is over-classified.” But it’s — it’s a balance that we try to strike to make sure that everything is appropriately marked and appropriately handled.

Later in the briefing, Kirby went on to reply to a couple of questions from Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy :

PETER DOOCY: John, how hard is it to walk out of a SCIF with classified material?

MR. KIRBY: Everybody who goes into a SCIF knows what the requirements are to go in and knows what the requirements are to go out. You know, there’s — you can’t bring personal devices in. And you certainly can’t leave with material unless that material is appropriately secured.

PETER DOOCY: And usually, what happens to someone in the chain of command if they do leave with a piece of classified material that they’re not supposed to have or that is not secured?

MR. KIRBY: I think if you do it inadvertently or you do it and you realize, you know, you don’t have it secured in a locked bag, you know, you — you self-report, which is exactly what the President did: self-reported.

But you self-report, and you — you make sure that that you get the material back, secured where it belongs, and that you’re transparent about it.

Watch above via C-SPAN.

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