At this point, reporters have learned not to expect answers from White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
On Friday, AFP reporter Sebastian Smith asked Karine Jean-Pierre about a possible thaw in U.S. relations with China.
Jean-Pierre spent nearly two minutes laughing at Smith’s British pronunciation of the word “thaw.” Then, after all that, she didn’t even answer his question.
Ultimately, The White House press pool talked about both a Chinese thaw and the Norse god Thor.
Take a look —
Funny moment at the White House press briefing with @SebastianAFP Smith's accent leaving reporters confused — he talking about "a thaw" in U.S.-China relations, NOT "a fall" or "Thor" pic.twitter.com/bj8WSM0QY6
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) June 2, 2023
After explaining his accent, the reporter had two questions for Jean-Pierre. He asked whether the CIA director had shared any news with the president after visiting China, and he asked about the likelihood of a phone call between U.S. officials and Xi Jinping, president of China.
Jean-Pierre hit back with her favorite response: a non-answer.
The reporter asked, “Today we learned that the CIA director was in China some time before this brief mention of ‘the word I won’t repeat’ in Japan. Is that — are those two things connected? Did the director come back with some news that might make the President think about a thaw?”
“So, as it relates to the CIA director’s travel, I would have to refer you to — to the CIA directly to speak to that,” Jean-Pierre replied, still laughing.
Naturally, the reporter stopped expecting answers from Jean-Pierre. He followed up, “How about any — I know you’re going to tell me you got nothing to share, but how m- — how about a phone call with President Xi?”
Jean-Pierre replied, “Well, look, the President is looking forward to Pres- — to speaking to President Xi. As you know, they’ve spoken many times in the last two years. Just don’t have anything to read out.When the — the time per- — is appropriate, certainly that conversation will occur.”
Take a look at the White House transcript —
Q Thank you, Karine. So, when the President of Japan — ears pricked up when he spoke of a thaw or maybe a possible coming thaw with China. A thaw.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Oh, say that one more time.
Q A thaw. Yeah, my accent — T-H-A-W. (Laughter.)
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Oh. (Laughter.)
Q Yeah, I — I forgive you.
Q Thaw.
Q I forgive you. I’m not talking of Thor, the God of whatever, you know. (Laughter.)
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Which is what we heard a lot yesterday.
Q That would have been a hell of a (inaudible). Anyway.
Q The God of Thunder —
Q Yes, yes.
Q — just for the record.
Q So, thaw. Thaw. That sounded like —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: “God of Thunder,” as we’re hearing from the back.
Q Yeah, God of Thunder. Yeah, he had lightning bolts and stuff like that. (Laughter.)
Q Thor.
Q Thaw. I feel like I’m in a “Monty Python” sketch here. (Laughter.) I sort of —
He — he spoke of a thaw, which everyone — everyone’s ears pricked up when he said that.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Oh, a thaw. A thaw.
Q Yes, a thaaww.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay. (Laughter.)
Q Can I say it like that? A thaaww.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: A thaaww.
Q A thaaaww.
Okay. (Laughter.) So, there we are.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: There’s a lot happening here, folks. It’s Friday.
Q Okay. It’s Friday.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: It’s Friday.
Q I have a follow-up, by the way. (Laughter.)
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: On the thaaww?
The Horn editorial team