‘That Is a Dangerous Thing To Say!’ Jean-Pierre Torches EWTN Reporter Over Anti-Trans Question
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre torched EWTN White House correspondent Owen Jensen over a “dangerous” and “irresponsible” question about transgender teens and school sports.
President Joe Biden recently expressed full-throated support for trans teens at a global press conference, and his administration has proposed a change to Title IX that would “establish that policies violate Title IX when they categorically ban transgender students from participating on sports teams consistent with their gender identity just because of who they are. The proposed rule also recognizes that in some instances, particularly in competitive high school and college athletic environments, some schools may adopt policies that limit transgender students’ participation.”
Jean-Pierre briefed reporters at the White House Tuesday, where Jensen scored a seat in the second row to ask about the rule change in a way that drew a sharp rebuke from Jean-Pierre — who challenged him to read the transcript later to see what he was asking:
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I was going to continue going around. Hey — you’re sitting up front.
OWEN JENSEN: Yeah, I found a seat.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I see.
OWEN JENSEN: What do you know? It had my name right on it. Good afternoon, Karine.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay, good afternoon.
OWEN JENSEN: Just hours ago, Senator Tuberville tweeted, quote, “[H]aving biological males in women’s sports is unsafe, unfair, and wrong.” And earlier this year, several — 72 elite female athletes signed an open letter saying, “Forcing female athletes… to compete against biological males is not only unfair, it is discriminatory and illegal.”
So, in the light of this administration’s proposed changes to Title IX, does the White House worry about the physical safety of females directly competing against males in sports?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, this is a complicated issue. It is. And there are a wide range of views, as you just laid out.
The Department of Education proposed a rule that gives schools the flexibility to establish their own athletic policies, while establishing gra- — guardrails to prevent discrimination against transgender kids.
And so, I also want to make clear that this is a proposed rule, and members of the public have the ability to provide comment as part of the rulemaking process.
And so, any — you know, any additional questions that you may have of this proposed rule, certainly, I would refer you to the Department of Education.
But we do understand this is a complicated issue.
OWEN JENSEN: And what would the President say to the parents out there who have daughters — say, in high school, for example — who are worried that their daughter may have to compete against a male, or a person born male, and they — and there could be — or directly in physical athletic competition — and worry about their daughter’s safety?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, I — what you’re alluding to is basically saying that transgender kids are dangerous. It sounds like that’s what you’re saying.
OWEN JENSEN: I — I didn’t say that. I didn’t say that. I don’t know how that’s —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, you’re saying — you’re saying that their safety is — isn’t — is at risk?
OWEN JENSEN: This is strictly a safety question. This is strictly a safety question.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah, but you’re — you’re — you’re laying out a broad — kind of broad example or explanation of what could potentially happen.
OWEN JENSEN: But —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: A broad — a broad example explaining — that is dangerous. That is a dangerous thing to say —
OWEN JENSEN: I’m not —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: — that, essentially, transgender kids — we’re talking about — are dangerous.
And so, that’s something that I have to call out.
OWEN JENSEN: Okay. But I — if I may dis- —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: And that is — that is —
OWEN JENSEN: Okay.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: That is — that is irresponsible.
I have just laid out how complicated this issue is. I have just laid out why it’s complicated. And so, anything that you have — any additional questions, I refer to the Department of Education.
OWEN JENSEN: Yeah, but — yes, but I may —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I’m going to move on. I know there are other people —
OWEN JENSEN: Just to be clear, this is —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Tam. Go ahead, Tam.
OWEN JENSEN: — about safety. I wasn’t insinuating anything.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No, I mean you could read you question in a transcript once you get it.
Watch above via The White House.
