Karine Jean-Pierre Calls Reporter Dramatic for Fact-Checking False Claim

During a press conference on May 2nd, there was a disagreement between Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy and Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre regarding the decision of the White House to deploy 1,500 military troops to the southern border. When Doocy tried to verify one of her statements, the press secretary asked him to avoid being overly dramatic.

During a briefing on May 1st, Peter Doocy pointed out a statement made by Jean-Pierre where she claimed that illegal immigration had decreased by more than 90%. While discussing the humanitarian parole program, Jean-Pierre’s choice of words suggested that this decrease applied to all immigration statistics. She also acknowledged that the Biden administration was making an effort to address the ongoing issues faced by officials and residents at and around the border, but there was still much work to be done.

Doocy was trying to clarify the incorrect information about the total given by Jean-Pierre, but she dismissed his attempt to get a clearer picture. Doocy provided more precise figures to clarify his question, but this seemed to frustrate Jean-Pierre, and they briefly talked over each other before she asked him to reduce the drama.

Although Jean-Pierre did mention that she was referring to the “parolee program” when she made the statement, she did not take sufficient steps to rectify the misinterpretation. Doocy made a final effort to elicit a more precise answer, but the press secretary dismissed him and turned to another reporter.

Immigration has been a persistent challenge for the Biden administration. The previous fiscal year, officials at the border documented a record-breaking 1.7 million encounters. At present, roughly 200,000 individuals attempt to enter the United States without authorization each month. In anticipation of an increase in demand for security as pandemic restrictions are lifted, the White House has deployed additional troops.