Journalists and aides to President Biden are seething over White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre’s refusal to let a national security expert discuss the tentative Israel-Hamas cease-fire at her final briefing Wednesday — deeming the occasion her “goodbye party.”
The press secretary’s spotlight-stealing forced the nation to wait an extra hour to learn details of the American hostages being released, including their names — with Jean-Pierre herself providing no new information at her 306th and last briefing and referring reporters to a National Security Council background call that got underway after she left the stage.
National security adviser Jake Sullivan personally asked for his top spokesman, John Kirby — a former press secretary at both the Pentagon and State Department — to take the lectern moments after Biden announced the long-sought deal and cast it as a signature achievement of his team.
Sullivan made the request of White House chief of staff Jeff Zients — but Jean-Pierre refused to allow it, citing her own prearranged plans to celebrate herself, two sources told The Post.
“She basically said it was her goodbye party,” one person recounted.
Read more at https://nypost.com/2025/01/16/us-news/karine-jean-pierre-blocked-hostage-deal-expert-from-her-goodbye-party-white-house-briefing/
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