Jean-Pierre Rips Trump When Fox News Reporter Asks If LIV Deal Golf Makes Biden ‘Look Weak’

Fox News White House Correspondent Jacqui Heinrich drew objections and a rebuke of former President Donald Trump when she asked White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre if not commenting on the LIV golf deal “risks making the president look weak.”

The PGA and LIV Golf reached a stunning deal on Tuesday that has drawn intense criticism from many and praise from few — including former President Donald Trump.

At Wednesday’s press briefing, the topic came up repeatedly, and Jean-Pierre continued the administration’s policy of not commenting on a “private entity” — even explaining to one reporter that Biden’s joke at a cabinet meeting was the president “basically saying, ‘I’m not going to comment.’”

Heinrich was one of several reporters who persisted, asking KJP if not commenting makes Biden look weak — prompting Jean-Pierre to rip the Trump administration over “gutted and destroyed” foreign relationships:

JACQUI HEINRICH: Okay. And on the merger. The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board said this is more than just a private deal. It’s really about MBS sort of thumbing his nose at the President. They point out that the Saudis entered a China-brokered deal with Iran; they’re cozying up to Maduro; cut oil production ahead of Blinken’s visit, helping Russia, driving up prices, hurting Biden. And they write, “Is Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman trolling President Biden?” Call it “the revenge of the ‘pariah.’”

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I can’t comment to or lay out what the thinking of — of the Saudi Arabia official or government are.

As it relates to this merger, we’re just not going to comment on this deal. It is two private entities, and we’re just not going to comment.

JACQUI HEINRICH: Doesn’t that risk making the President look weak if there’s no comment? When you have Democratic senators saying that the President’s Justice Department should be looking at this with respect to antitrust questions, foreign registration questions, doesn’t “no comment” fall short?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: It’s — first of all, the President does not look weak. This is a President — because of his leadership, has brought together our allies and partners again, which certainly was our — our foreign policy relationship with heads of states was gutted and destroyed by the last administration.

And this is a President that has been able to strengthen the NATO Alliance again because of his leadership, has been able to bring more than 50 countries together to help support Ukraine as they’re battling the aggression from Russia, and that is occurring because of this President’s leadership. And so I think that is important.

And because we’re saying that we’re not going to speak to a private merger — a company’s merger, a private entity — does not make the President weak.

Watch above via The White House.