White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded sharply to comments made by her predecessor, Karine Jean-Pierre, after Jean-Pierre described one of Leavitt’s recent statements as “deplorable” during an appearance on ABC’s The View, as reported by Fox News.
“With all due respect to my predecessor, she is one of the main culprits of the greatest cover-up and scandal in American history,” Leavitt said Tuesday on Jesse Watters Primetime.
“She took the podium every day and lied to the press about the incompetence of her boss. And on this book tour, she continues to lie.”
Jean-Pierre, who served as press secretary under former President Joe Biden, is promoting her new memoir, Independent, which discusses her departure from the Democratic Party and her experiences in the Biden administration.
During The View, hosts replayed a clip of Leavitt’s earlier comments, in which she said Democrats’ “main constituency is made up of Hamas terrorists, illegal aliens, and violent criminals.” Jean-Pierre was quick to condemn the statement.
“I do want to say something to the first clip that you all just showed, which is, hearing that, it’s deplorable,” Jean-Pierre said.
“And I’m using that word on purpose. Because they don’t seem to understand, this is the Trump White House, that they don’t work for just one man. They work for the American people.”
Leavitt, who serves as President Donald Trump’s press secretary, responded by accusing Jean-Pierre of being “bitter” and continuing to mislead the public.
“I know Karine unfortunately worked for the most incompetent president in history,” Leavitt said. “So, I guess she has a reason to be bitter, but being bitter will not sell you books.”
Leavitt also took aim at Jean-Pierre’s continued defense of Biden’s performance and her claim that the former president regularly addressed the press.
“She took that podium and lied day after day about his mental fitness and his ability to lead,” Leavitt said. “They gaslit the American people about what was happening right in front of their eyes.”
Jean-Pierre doubled down on her defense of Biden during a separate appearance Monday on The Bulwark podcast. “He addressed the public a couple of times a week,” she said, rejecting suggestions that Biden avoided the media.
The back-and-forth between Leavitt and Jean-Pierre comes as the former press secretary continues her media tour to promote her memoir and discuss her split with the Democratic Party, while Leavitt maintains a prominent role in the Trump administration’s communications team.
