‘Grotesque and Offensive’: White House Responds to Trump’s Labeling Jan 6 Detainees ‘Hostages’

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre blasted Donald Trump for his “grotesque” attempt to characterize those serving time for January 6 as “hostages” instead of prisoners.

In a press gaggle held aboard Air Force One on Monday, Jean-Pierre was asked if President Joe Biden had a response to how his predecessor marked the anniversary of the day when Trump’s supporters violently besieged the U.S. Capitol. Trump did so by calling the prisoners “hostages” and demanding that Biden release them from their sentences over their actions during the Trump-fueled riot. Trump has repeatedly portrayed him and his imprisoned supporters as political victims, and he awaits charges for his allegedly fraudulent attempts to overturn his election defeat.

Jean-Pierre began by referring to Biden’s speech last week where he blasted Trump over January 6th while painting him as a threat to American democracy. From there, she said, “I’ve seen American veterans know that how grotesque and offensive to compare those convicted of assaulting cops and attempting to overthrow the American government.”

Jean-Pierre drove this point by shutting down the notion that January 6th prisoners are comparable with hostages like those who were taken captive by Hamas on October 7th.

“It is grotesque to make those types of comparison,” she said, “and the president spoke very forcefully of how he saw January 6th and laid out there’s a choice that we have to make here.”

Listen above.