Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, July 15, 2024
JULY 15, 2024
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Good afternoon, everyone.
Q Good afternoon.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay. So, last night, President Biden spoke directly to the American people about the urgent need to come together and lower the temperature in our politics.
We must remember that while we may disagree, we are not enemies. We are fellow Americans, and we must stand together. We must stand together in the wake of an attempted assassination on the former president of the United States.
Over the past several days, the president has been briefed regularly by key members of his homeland security team and senior law enforcement officials, and he has spoken directly to the American people.
As President Biden has said, we are thankful the former president is not seriously injured. And President Biden, the first lady, and the entire White House are keeping him and his family in our prayers.
We also extend our deepest condolences to the family of the victim who was killed. Corey was a husband, a father, a volunteer firefighter, and a hero who lost his life shielding his family. Our prayers are with Corey’s family during this unimaginable time.
The president spoke about an ongoing investigation. And as he said, “We do not know the motive of the shooter yet. We don’t know his opinions or affiliations. We don’t know whether he had help or support or if he communicated with anyone else. Law enforcement professionals are investigating those questions.”
And we urge that everyone avoid jumping to conclusions. Let the law enforcement professionals do their job.
But as President Biden made clear, what we do know is that a former president was shot in a senseless act of violence, and a fellow American was killed while simply exercising his freedom to support a candidate of his choosing.
We must not go down this road in America.
There is no place in America for this kind of violence ever. We cannot normalize this. Right now, the most important thing we can do is unite against this type of political violence and reject it.
That’s what the president is going to focus on. As he said last night, “While unity is the most elusive of goals right now, nothing is more important than standing together.”
Now joining me today to answer your questions is Secretary Mayorkas. W- — normally, would have done a gaggle because the president would have been on the road, but we wanted to make sure that we did this briefing, get an on-camera briefing, and also have the secretary here to take any of your questions.
So, he has been alongside the president and — and — and the president’s entire team as they work to get the answers for the American people.
Secretary Mayorkas, thank you so much for joining us today.
SECRETARY MAYORKAS: Thank you very much, Karine. Good afternoon.
At the very outset, I want to echo what President Biden said last night. Our entire administration is grateful that former President Trump is okay. Our hearts and prayers are with the family of Corey Comperatore. We pray for the full and swift recovery of those who were injured on Saturday.
We are thankful for the heroic agents of the United States Secret Service who so quickly and bravely responded to the threat at Saturday’s campaign event. We unequivocally condemn in the strongest possible terms the violence our nation witnessed that day. Such acts are unacceptable in our country and in our democracy.
Both President Biden and former President Trump are constantly the subject of threats. We are in a heightened and very dynamic threat environment. The United States Ser- — Secret Service — we, including the FBI and our other partners across the federal government, take the threats very seriously and adjust security measures as warranted.
Maintaining the safety and security of the president, the former president, and their campaign events is one of our most vital priorities.
In light of this weekend’s events, the president has directed me to work with the Secret Service to provide protection to Robert Kennedy, Jr.
Both prior to and after the events of this past weekend, the Secret Service enhanced former President Trump’s protection based on the evolving nature of threats to the former president and his imminent shift from presumptive nominee to nominee. This includes enhancements related to securing the former president during the Republican National Convention this week.
I cannot discuss specifics of the producti- — protection or the enhancements made, as they involve sensitive tactics and procedures. I can say, however, that personnel and other protective resources, technology, and capabilities have been added.
At the RNC, we have steadily increased implementation of significant physical and technical enhancements at every protective venue in support of protectees, including miles of anti-scale fencing, screening technology, and tactical support. We are also leveraging strong relationships across the law enforcement community, including agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Transportation Security Administration, and state and local law enforcement agencies, all of whom have been deployed at the convention.
Since the attempted assassination of former President Trump, we across the government are focused with urgency to understand how it happened. At President Biden’s direction, an independent review of the incident will be conducted, one that will examine the Secret Service’s and other law enforcement actions before, during, and after the shooting to identify the immediate and longer-term corrective actions required to ensure that the no-fail mission of protecting national leaders is most effectively met.
The men and women of the Secret Service have one of the most solemn and difficult jobs in government. Their work involves tremendous sacrifice, risk, and bravery. We saw those qualities in action on the stage at this past Saturday’s event.
With respect to the tragic event of Saturday, the FBI is leading the criminal investigation, which is ongoing. An independent review will be conducted to understand the facts regarding protection of the event and make findings and recommendations accordingly. I will therefore not be able to comment on the facts subject to investigation and review at this time.
With that, I will take your questions.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Zeke.
Q Thank you, Secretary. On that independent review. Who will lead that independent review? What is the timeline for how long it will take to understand the failings that happened on Saturday? And will those findings be made public or at least a summary of those findings be made public?
SECRETARY MAYORKAS: We are indeed in the process of selecting who will lead the independent review. The findings indeed will be made public. It is very important that we achieve transparency so that the American people have confidence in the work of the review and in — in its findings and recommendations. And we need to move with swiftness and urgency because this is a security imperative.
Q And — sorry, Mr. Secretary. On that, does — do you — does the president have confidence in the Secret Service director after Saturday’s failures?
SECRETARY MAYORKAS: I have 100 percent confidence in the director of the United Stetes — States Secret Service. I have 100 percent confidence in the United States Secret Service. And what you saw on stage on Saturday with respect to individuals putting their own lives at risk for the protection of another is exactly what the American public should see every single day. It is what I indeed do.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Nancy.
Q Thank you, Secretary. Is the Secret Service stretched too thin?
SECRETARY MAYORKAS: The Secret Service in — in times like this calls upon other resources and capabilities to handle a — a campaign of this magnitude. This has been the case each and every presidential campaign. We draw upon resources not only across the federal government but with state and local law enforcement. And I do intend to speak with members of the Hill with respect to the resources that we need.
Q And a few House Republicans have suggested that this was an inside job, that this administration or the Secret Service wanted Donald Trump to get shot. There are conspiracy theories proliferating online. How do you feel, how does the rank and file feel when they hear that?
SECRETARY MAYORKAS: So, let me — let me — let me just say this. First of all, that is preposterous and it is also dangerous to propagate rumors that are so unequivocally false and provocative. And as the president so powerfully said to the entire nation, we have to tamp down the rhetoric in this country. The rhetoric itself creates a threat environment that really is quite dynamic and evolving.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Kelly.
Q Mr. Secretary, what concerns you about the fact there were witnesses who had identified a gunman on the building, there was local law enforcement assigned to that building, and, of course, the Secret Service having the overall responsibility? Where do you think a breakdown may have occurred? Is it because you had to rely on local law enforcement, maybe not having the kind of synergy you might need? Where do you see the breakdown, with witnesses saying, “There’s a gunman,” and action not happening fast enough?
SECRETARY MAYORKAS: So, there ha- — there have been
statements by many people with respect to what did and did not occur. We’re going to let the investigation and the review deliver th- — the factual findings, and we’ll act upon those.
We rely upon local law enforcement and other assets, resources, and capabilities every day. And we are incredibly proud to do so, and we’re incredibly proud of the courageous law enforcement officers upon whom we rely.
Q And, sir, in the time that you’ve been here, the former president has selected J.D. Vance. What can you tell us about the security for the running mate?
SECRETARY MAYORKAS: So, the United States Secret Service, when a selection is made, will provide the appropriate level of security.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Steve.
Q When you say we’re in a heightened threat environment, what’s the underlying reasoning for that? What — what’s — what can you tell us more about that?
SECRETARY MAYORKAS: So, this is — this is something that both Director Wray of the FBI and I have communicated publicly, both in hearings and outside the hearing context. The threat landscape is very dynamic, both domestically with the rise of domestic violent extremism — the rhetoric to which one reporter referred only contributes to that — and, of course, we have seen the foreign threat environment increase as well.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Jenny.
Q Thank you, sir.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Jenny. Jenny.
Q Thank you. You just said that you have 100 percent confidence in the Secret Service. Does the president share that confidence? Have you talked to him about it?
SECRETARY MAYORKAS: I will — I will not speak for the president. What I know, as a protectee, he’s incredibly —
Q Well, if Karine can —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I — I’ll — I’ll —
Q — answer —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Let’s — I’ll speak to that when we — when it’s my turn.
Go ahead.
Q Hi, Secretary. Thank you. Can you speak to any enhancements to the president’s security for his trip to Las Vegas this week and other locations? I mean, how has that changed, if it’s changed at all? And I have a second question as well.
SECRETARY MAYORKAS: So, I’m not in a position to share particulars, because we do not disclose tactics, techniques, and procedures. But let me say that adjustments have been made to the former president’s detail, to the current president’s detail, as well as to the vice president’s detail.
Q And with social media companies, I mean, terms like “deep state” have been one of the most viral terms over the weekend on platforms like X, on Meta. Has there been any outreach to these companies from administration officials to try and stop the disinformation or to kind of quell it in any way?
SECRETARY MAYORKAS: Well, the rhetoric that we hear — you know, we are very mindful of the First Amendment right that is one of the underpinnings of this country. And so, the balance between respecting the First Amendment and actually rhetoric that is — that can be addressed by these social media companies is something that we deal with on an ongoing basis.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead.
Q Thanks so much. Law enforcement officials tell ABC News that the building where the shooter was on the roof was actually the staging area for local — for the local police tactical team who was watching over the crowd. I understand you can’t comment; you have an independent review. But why would the Secret Service not be tasked with overseeing that building with a direct line of sight at the former president?
SECRETARY MAYORKAS: So, once again, I will not comment on — on specific facts or asserted facts with respect to the subject of the independent investigation, both the review and the FBI’s criminal investigation.
But remember something: that local law enforcement, with whom we work all across the country — including, for example, at national security special events, such as the NATO Summit that concluded successfully — that is something that we do all the time. It’s a very well-defined protocol and regime.
Q Was the local law enforcement in direct communication in real time with the Secret Service? Or was there some sort of breakdown there?
SECRETARY MAYORKAS: Again, I’m — I’m not in a position to speak of particular facts of what did and did not occur on Saturday.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Jacqui.
Q Thank you, Karine. Mr. Secretary, would the President dismiss his Secret Service director if this investigation returns findings of failures by that agency that could have been prevented?
SECRETARY MAYORKAS: I am not in a position to speculate, nor — nor should I.
Q Can you — how is it that we are now about 48 hours out from this, ju- — just shy of that, and we still don’t have any information on a motive? Is it that the investigation — investigators are withholding any information out of sensitivity to this heightened threat environment that you mentioned or the political events that are happening right now?
SECRETARY MAYORKAS: So, remember s- — remember something: that the — the assailant is deceased. He was shot and killed by the United States Secret Service. The ability to identify a mo- — a motive is something that, in this situation, is a result of extensive and intensive investigation. And so, it is, in fact, only 48 hours after the — the tragic events of Saturday.
And you will recall, I think, in the very, very tragic shooting in Las Vegas quite a number of years ago, because of the fact that the assailant then was shot and killed, a motive was not identified at all.
Q And we still don’t have a motive there, Mr. Secretary.
SECRETARY MAYORKAS: Correct.
Q Are you suggesting that we might never find one?
SECRETARY MAYORKAS: I’m not suggesting anything. I just cited that as an example of the difficulty in identifying a motive.
Q And one more, sir. At least eight Republican lawmakers have blamed President Biden for this. An additional 21 blame Democrats, the left, and the media critical of Trump for driving the rhetoric that led to this outcome. How does the White House respond to that blame coming from some Republican lawmakers?
SECRETARY MAYORKAS: I will let Karine answer that, but I think the president’s comments with respect to the rhetoric that we need to tamp down in this country is —
Q Will that start here at the White House?
SECRETARY MAYORKAS: — is responsive.
Q Sir, will that start at the White House?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Matt. Go ahead, Matt. Go ahead, Matt.
Q Thanks. Mr. Secretary, you — you’ve said that there was a failure here. There’s a criminal investigation up and running. What is taking time for the independent investigation to be up and running? And — and it didn’t sound like you were giving a timeline of when and that will occur.
SECRETARY MAYORKAS: We’re going to commence the independent review as quickly as possible. We are going to be reaching out very, very shortly to individuals who will hopefully lead that independent review. And I will communicate to — to those leaders the need for swiftness of action, in light of the fact that we are dealing with a security protocol.
Q But if that’s the case, is — this is, like, days? Weeks? Wh- — what is your sense of timing of when this review will be up and running given the security imperative?
SECRETARY MAYORKAS: Days.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: All right. Go ahead, Peter.
Q Can you — to follow up on Matt’s question. You say an “independent review,” you’re reaching out to people who will lead that. Are you talking about people outside of government? Are you committed to somebody who does not work for you or for President Biden to — to lead this review?
SECRETARY MAYORKAS: I am committed to going externally of the dep- — the department and externally of the government so that no question of its independence can be raised.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Danny.
Q Thanks, Karine. Secretary, I understand —
SECRETARY MAYORKAS: If I — if I may, Peter.
Q Yeah.
SECRETARY MAYORKAS: It’s very important that this independent review have the confidence of the people.
Q Thanks. Secretary, can you give us any — any details at all about what areas this review will be looking at in terms of the failures that — that happened on Saturday?
SECRETARY MAYORKAS: I would rather not until this review is — is underway.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay. We’re going to start wrapping up.
Go ahead, Annie.
Q Just quickly, if I may. Secretary, can you fill out any more of the timeline of what loc- — loc- — excuse me, local law enforcement knew or didn’t know before the shooting? Just — this is in reference to this interview with a individual who said that he saw somebody crawling up the building, and we’re still a little unclear on the timeline of how that information was communicated.
SECRETARY MAYORKAS: I hate to — to end this session on an answer — on a question that I cannot answer. And so, perhaps Karine will reach out for another question — (laughter) — because as I’ve mentioned — as I mentioned before, I — I cannot speak to what did and did not occur. The facts are the subject of an independent review — or will be — and also a criminal investigation is underway.
Q I would like another one, then, in that case. Is there any progress on hacking into the suspect’s cell phone?
SECRETARY MAYORKAS: Same answer.
Q Sir, what do you tell —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, M.J.
Q — Americans who —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Wait, no, no, no, no, no.
Q Can I get one —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No. Nope.
Q Okay.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, M.J.
Q Thank you, Mr. Secretary. Thank you for coming to this briefing. You said that you have 100 percent confidence in the Secret Service. Do you have 100 percent confidence in Director Cheatle specifically?
SECRETARY MAYORKAS: Yes.
Q And, Mr. Secretary, since Saturday, has anyone been reassigned or removed from Donald Trump’s security detail?
SECRETARY MAYORKAS: I don’t have knowledge of that. I do not believe so.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay. Last question. In the back, go ahead.
Q Thank you. Mr. Secretary, are — is the U.S. Secret Service — they’re responsible for, of course, protecting a wide variety of events. Are they considering changes to the type of outdoor events that will be coming up in the next, you know, four months of campaigning for candidates on both sides?
SECRETARY MAYORKAS: We are constantly — the Secret Service and the entire community is constantly assessing the threat environment, the threat landscape, and making adjustments accordingly. And so, that is a factor in our assessment of the landscape.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: All right. Thank you, sir. Thank you, sir.
Q Sir, what do you tell Americans who may feel —
SECRETARY MAYORKAS: Thank you.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Thank you. Thank you, sir.
Q Sir, what do you tell Americans who may feel nervous about going to political rallies now? Sir?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay. Thank you so much, Secretary. Appreciate it.
I just have one more thing, and then we’ll continue. So, I want to take a minute to thank Kelly O’Donnell, your outgoing president of the White House Correspondents’ Association. Kelly, the past year has presented no shortage of news — (laughter) — opportunities, and challenges. You’ve been a great partner day — day to day here at the White House, and we’ve closely worked together on major events, minor logistics, and travel, both domestic and foreign.
I — I want this room and the many members of the WHCA to know that you have had a trusted ally, friend, and leader in Kelly O. And you have always — always advocated heartfel- — heart- — heart- — heartedly on behalf of your fellow journalists. And we are grateful for your service, and we are relieved you will still be on — on the beat here at the White House and in the briefing room.
It has been — it has been a joy. And — and I have had — I have had the opportunity to know you for some time, even before being at the White House, and I really appreciated, more personally, your guidance, your mentorship in tough times. And so, thank you so much, Kelly.
And we are also looking forward to working closely with Eugene Daniels, the new president of WHCA. And we congratulate him as well.
It has been a joy. And thank you so much. Thank you so much.
Q Thank you. That’s very kind of you. (Applause.)
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: All right. Zeke, let’s go.
Q Thanks, Karine. Following up on Jenny’s question there.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q Does the president have confidence in the director of the Secret Service?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, a couple of things. Yes. So, the answer is yes.
But I do want to say the director is working hard to examine what happened and to ensure protectees have needed security. And she has committed to cooperate fully with the independent review that the president obviously announced and directed to — to move forward with just a day or so ago. Everything is com- — is moving so quickly.
The men and women at the Secret Service have a — a hard job, as you heard the secretary mention. They work tirelessly every day to protect the president, former presidents, and other people. Their mission is critical, and we need all hands on deck in this moment.
Right now, we are focused on getting all the facts so we can get to the bottom of this, of what happened. It is important for the American people to know what happened. That’s why the president directed a independent review. And, you know, the — direct the — direct a independent review — that’s what the president asked for: direct the Secret Service to provide Donald Trump and all other protectees the resources needed to ensure safety and ordered the Secret Service to review all se- — security measures for the Republican Convention, which is what you’ve heard directly from the Secret Service — speak to in the past 24 hours or so.
But, yes, he has confidence.
Q And does he have confidence in — Secretary Mayorkas — obviously (inaudible) —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yes.
Q Okay. And does the president have plans or has he spoken with the family of the — of the man who was killed at the rally?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, you heard me at the top and you heard the president speak in — in his Oval address, and then — and one time before that, obviously. And he gave a heartfelt condolences to — to Corey’s family and — and the families, obviously, who were affected by the horrific shooting on Saturday.
And so, the president kn- — understands loss, obviously, as you all know. He understands what it means to lose someone that you love. Our condolences, our prayers go out to — to Corey’s family.
I don’t have anything else to add. I — we want to be really, really mindful and — for their privacy — protect and respect their privacy. I just don’t have anything else to add to that.
Q And then, lastly from me, the president last night said it’s time for everyone in the political space to tone it down, to cool the political rhetoric. Does the president regret anything that he has said in the course of this campaign about his Republican rival or anybody else in the political space? Does he plan to adjust his rhetoric or is it just a call for other people to make changes?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I want to just be very clear, and you know this. I’ve been asked about — anytime there’s violence, sadly, that — that comes up across the country, we have — the president has always — always spoken out forcefully against violence — always.
Political violence has no place in America. You’ve heard the president say this. He re- — repeated — repeated his thoughts in the Oval address last night. He repeated his thoughts multiple times before then and obviously throughout his presidency — throughout his entire — throughout his entire career.
We want to make sure that we are not pol- — politiciz- — politicizing this. At this moment, it is not a time to do that. We want to make sure that we bring Americans together.
When you think about why the president ran in 2020, the cornerstone of his presidency is uniting this country — is uniting this country. And he also said that it is okay to have disagreements on agendas. It is okay to have disagreements on character or record. But we cannot — cannot have violence in this country. And that is something that he’s going to continue to be very, very clear about.
Q Does he — so, does he or does he not regret anything that he has said about former President Trump or any of his other political rivals?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: What I will say is the president has forcefully spoken out against violence. That is something that he has done over and over again. And he believes that — and he feels strongly about the stakes of the — of — of this campaign. He feels very, very strongly about that.
He wants to bring the temperature down. He wants to lower the temperature. It is important that we do that. And it is a moment that we come together. And that is what this president is all about, and he wants to continue to work on uniting this country. That’s what he wants to focus on.
Go ahead.
Q Follow-up on that. Just last week, in Michigan, President Biden called Trump “a threat to this nation.” Should we expect that he will not be calling out Trump with that kind of rhetoric going forward?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, what I will say is that it is important — right? — we believe it is important to continue to forcefully speak against any type of political violent. That is what the president believes. And we do not want to politicize this moment. Politicizing this moment is unacceptable.
We believe and the president believe — you heard from him, in very clear — in — in a very clear statement last night, about the importance of uniting this country, the importance of continuing to do so, and that we cannot tear America apart to score political points. We cannot do that.
And so, we don’t want to politicize this moment. We want to unite. We want to continue to focus on that. And that’s what the president is going to focus on right now.
Q So, will his messaging change this week?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: His messaging is going to be really clear. He’s going to continue to engage with the American people. That’s what you’re going to see in the next upcoming days, upcoming weeks. Nothing different than what he’s done in the last almost four years. And lay out his agenda, highlight his agenda.
There are differences. There are differences in our agenda and what Republicans believe, right? There are differences. And that is okay. And it is okay to speak to someone’s record and someone’s character. But we cannot accept violence. We cannot accept that.
And so, the president is going to continue to do that: highlight his agenda. It’s important for the American people to hear directly from him what he d- — has done in the last three and a half years and how he sees the future of this country. That will not change.
Go ahead.
Q Speaking of that agenda, the president told a group of Democratic lawmakers on the phone this weekend that he has been working with experts on some Supreme Court reforms that he will be unveiling at some point in the future. Can you tell us anything about those reforms —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q — when he might unveil them, and what he is seeking to achieve?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I appreciate the question. I’m not going to get ahead of the president. So, I don’t have anything to share at this time.
Q He also said in his press conference last week that he is looking at rent caps. What can you tell us about his policy when it comes to rent caps?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Again, I’m going to let the president speak to that when time comes.
Thanks, J.J.
Q To follow up again on — on the Oval Office —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q — address and lowering the temperature.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q Does the president want to see any concrete actions from former President Donald Trump to show that he too is working to lower the temperature?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I’m going to let the — the former president speak for himself and move forward with how he wants to move forward with his campaign, with how he sees the country — the future of this country. He has to speak to that. I — I’m not going to get into that from here.
Q And is there anything else you can tell us about the call between the president and the former president? What the tone was? Did the race come up at all? Did the former president mention anything about politics? Or was it just well wishes?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, I’m going to stick to what we have been able to confirm for all of you. Obviously, the president — and the president said this as well, that they spoke on — on — the president said this on Sunday, yesterday; he spoke with Donald Trump on Saturday. He is sincerely grateful that he is doing well and recovering, he had a good and respectful conversation with him, and that the president and the first lady will continue to keep them — keep Mr. Trump and his family in their — in their prayers.
I just don’t have anything else to add. It was a private conversation. But we were able to confirm to all of you what was put out by the campaign.
Go ahead.
Q Was it a matter of minutes, this phone call? Wh- — how long was it?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, it happened on Saturday. Don’t have — don’t have a timeline for you. It was a respectful call. It was a good conversation. And the president is going to continue — and the first lady is going to continue to — to send well wishes.
Q Does the president feel like this effort to get him to step aside is now fizzled out?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We’re not going to politi- — politicize this moment. We’re just not.
The president is going to continue doing what he’s been doing for the past couple of weeks, for the past three and a half years, which is going out there, engaging, talking directly to the American people about his record, what he’s been able to do on behalf of the American people in the past three and a half years; the economy; health care, continue to expand health care; continue to make sure that the wealthy corporate — corporate and billionaires are paying their fair share; and make sure that we’re building an economy from the bottom up, middle out.
That is what the president is going to focus on. We’re not going to politicize this moment.
Q And — and lastly, we saw reports that he had met with Chuck Schumer over the weekend. Is that true? What — anything you can say about that?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, what I can say about that is that — and I think Chuck Schumer put out a note on that. It was a good meeting, like — like the senator said. And I’m not going to read out beyond that. And the president is looking forward to continuing to work with Leader Schumer, continuing to work with Leader Jeffries in how we can — how we can focus on the American people, do the work that we’ve been able to do — that historic work, building on unprecedented record.
That’s the pr- — the president wants to focus on: focus on the American family, the middle class. And that’s what I can say about that.
Go ahead, Michael. Michael.
Q Oh, I’m sorry. Senator J.D. Vance, who Donald Trump has just picked as his running mate, put out a message on social media Saturday, about two hours after the shooting, blaming President — President Biden’s rhetoric for the shooting. In fact, he said, “That rhetoric led directly to President Trump’s attempted assassination.” What’s your response?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, this — I’ve kind of gotten this question in many different ways. I’m not going to politicize this moment. We are not going to politicize this moment. It is wrong to politicize this moment. We have been, you know, very clear on how sick — the president said this word. Saturday’s events were sick. It’s not acceptable. Political violence is not acceptable. And we have said that over and over and over again, and we will continue to be very clear about this.
We need to lower the temperature. That’s what we need to do: lower the temperature and — and unite the country. That’s what this president — that’s the cornerstone of his presidency, is uniting the country. That’s what he wants to do.
Go ahead.
Q Thank you, Karine. This assassination attempt happened right after the NATO Summit, where the president wants to show the world about the American leadership. Are you concerned this incident may damage America’s international image?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, it’s really r- — repeating what the president said: Now is the time to focus on uniting the country. You heard directly from NATO leaders just — just last week on how they appreciated and respected the president’s leadership, especially over the last two years — more than two years, as we think about the war in Ukraine because of Russia’s aggression, as we see what’s happening in the Middle East.
And, in particular, NATO — this is a president that has strengthened NATO and has helped to expand NATO.
And so, that’s what you saw from the leaders. That’s what you heard from the leaders. And that’s what you saw from this president, obviously, in — in his term here at the White House.
We’re going to continue to — you hear from — directly from the president: We’ve got to lower the temperature. We’ve got to unite the country. That’s what the president is going to continue to focus on.
Go ahead, Anita.
Q Thank you so much. Have the tragic events of this weekend shifted the president’s sense of urgency or position on gun control legislation?
And then, secondly, there’s been a lot of right-wing chatter about the female agents guarding the former president, specifically whether women are up to job. People are noting that they’re smaller, that they weren’t able to cover the president. But, I mean, this — this is a talking point —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q — that is circulating. So, what’s your response?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: That’s ridiculous. Your — to your second question, obviously, it’s ridiculous.
Q I’m not — I don’t think —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No. No, wait.
Q — it was a ridiculous question.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No, no, no. No, no, no. To your — not to your question. I understand why you’re asking the question. I — the — the sentiments coming from that about women and not being able to do the job, that’s ridiculous. Just to be really clear about that.
And, look, you heard from the secretary. These men and women put their lives on the line. What they’re doing is brave. And we should not discount that. We should not discount that if it’s a man or if it’s a woman. And to have that sentiment out there is unfair and it’s ridiculous.
Now, to step back, there’s going to be an independent review here. This is something that the president directed and asked for. We got to get to the bottom of this, of what happened. And the American people deserve an answer, and that’s what the president wants to see.
And so, getting into these types of speculation is just ridiculous. It’s just ridiculous.
Yeah.
Q Gun control.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Oh, yes. Look, the President has been, obviously, a strong advocate on gun control. He has been throughout his career as a senator, as vice president, and now as president.
As you know, we were able to get a bipartisan legislation done — the first bipartisan legislation to deal with gun — gun control that we hadn’t seen in about 30 years. And the president led on that effort and was able to get that done.
There’s a lot more work that we need to do. That is on Congress. We have to continue to get Congress to ban assault weapons, for example, and to do a lot more.
The president has done — signed more than two dozen executive actions because we understand and he knows that guns are an epidemic in our — sadly, in our country. It is an epidemic. The number one killer of our children is guns. And that should not be. That should not be.
And so, the president is going to continue to be steadfast on this. We have the White House Office for Gun Prevention, which the vice president leads on. That is something that was created here in this White House — never existed before. And that shows the president’s commitment on dealing with this epidemic.
Go ahead.
Q Karine, speaking of the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, in the past when there’s been, you know, mass shootings or casualty incidents with gun violence, they’ve sent resources and — and had folks on the ground. Are there any plans to do that for the (inaudible) —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, right now, as you know, it’s an FBI investigation, so they got to get to the bottom of it and see what occurred and see what happened and get answers to that.
I don’t have any information at this time on how the White House Office of Gun Prevention is — is — is assisting in — in — in the families and — and obviously the folks who attended. I would have to speak to them directly about that.
But we need to get to the bottom of this. That’s why there’s an independent investigation. That’s why we brought the secretary here to answer your questions, to be as — you know, as — as trans- — you know, transparent as we can be at this time. We got to let the investigation move forward. But it’s important to do that. And hopefully, we’ll have more to share with you on your question.
Go ahead.
Q Thank you. Is it the White House Counsel’s view that the attorney general has the legal authority to appoint special counsels?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, if you’re speaking to the announcement that came out, I have to refer you to Department of Justice. I don’t want to have an opinion from here. The Department of Justice is independent, as the president has said. Even during his 2020 election, he said that he would want to restore the independence of the Department of Justice. He’s done just that.
They make the decision on their cases independently. So, that’s a question that I would have to — refer all of that to Department of Justice.
Go ahead. Go ahead. (Inaudible.)
Q After — the president paused his campaign events over the weekend. Obviously, he didn’t go to Texas. Now he’s heading to Las Vegas this afternoon. Can you give us a preview of what to expect? Are we anticipating a different tone out on the road than we’re used to seeing with the president when he’s out on the trail?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, as I mentioned a couple of times before and as the president has said, we have differences in our agenda. We do. What we — what we believe is very different than what Republicans believe and how we see the future of this country. And that is important to have differences. It is important — it is okay to have differences.
And so, we will — he will talk about each of those differences. It is crucial, though — it is important that we bring the temperature down. That’s what the president has said. That’s what he wants to see. And, you know, he’s going to live to those values. And that’s what you’re going to see.
Talk about his agenda, highlight his agenda — that’s what you’ll see in the next couple days.
Go ahead, Jacqui.
Q Thank you, Karine. Taking another stab at the question you’ve answered —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q — several different ways. But I guess, more simply, are we going to continue to hear the president in official events or on the campaign trail use the phrase “threat to democracy” specifically?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I want to be very clear. The president is always going to denounce violence, forcefully delo- — denounce it. Be- — he’s always been against this — throughout his career, throughout the last four years. We do not want to politicize this. It’s unacceptable to do that. That’s what the president has said. It is time to bring this country together, to bring American people together. That’s what he wants to see.
And so, that’s where I’m going to leave it. He wants to unite this country. And that is something that he’s been saying since 2019.
Q That could be really hard to do, though, if you’re trying to make a shift away from what has been the platform of this administration, of his campaign, in that the view is that Trump and the MAGA Republican agenda is a threat to democracy. So, how do you get that message across while bringing the temperature down? How is that phrasing going to be replaced? Is it going to be replaced?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, look, what I can say is this. We have our differences and it’s okay to have our differences. And it is okay to speak to someone’s record, to speak to someone’s character. That is — that is the difference of — that is important to be able to do to show — right? — what — the American people what you’re all about.
We’re just — we’re just going to continue to denounce violence. It is important to do that — forcefully be against violence. Political violence has no place in America. It should not be. It does not have a place here. The president is going to continue to be very, very forceful about that.
But we have a difference of agenda. That is the truth. That is the truth. And we’re going to continue to speak to that difference, and the president is going to highlight his agenda.
Q Does the president view Trump’s agenda as a threat to democracy?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, what I will say is, right now, we’re not going to politicize what happened on Satur- — what happened on Saturday was horrific. It was. It was sick, as the president said. And we got to move forward in a way that — where we — we respect each other, that we don’t have —
Q (Inaudible) —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: — that we don’t have this type of discourse.
Q Can you bring us inside the room, though, in a way that you’re — you’re asking to bring down the temperature and have people consider the language that they use in order to dial back where we’re at. So, how are those discussions going on inside?
Is there a reflecting on language that’s been used? What should — what example is the president setting for others?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, I think the president has set an example. On Saturday —
Q How does that look, though?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No, but the — look, we can’t also discount what’s happened in the past three days. Right? We can’t discount what the president did on Saturday. Right? We can’t.
He — he spoke to the former president. He was briefed by his team. He addressed the American people the same night — right? — came back to D.C.
Yesterday, he had another briefing with his team. He — right after that briefing, he went into the Roosevelt Room, spoke to the American people, and then used the Oval Office, one of the most important tools to use — important places to make a — to make an — to — to give an important address to the American people in primetime on a Sunday.
I think that’s important. He wanted to make sure that he — that the American people heard directly from him, from the president of the United States, and also wanted to lay out that we should be able to have differences. Violence shouldn’t be a part of that. Right? He wanted to lay that out and say, “We have to bring the temperature down.”
That was — tha- — I feel like those three moments that we’ve seen in the last three — three days shows how the President is moving forward. It does.
And it is lowering d- — lowering the temperature, saying violence has no part in our — in our democracy in — in America, and saying it is okay to have differences. He also said that. He also said it’s okay to have differences.
Go ahead, Annie.
Q Thank you.
AIDE: Karine, you have time for just one more.
Q Can we just take Jacqui’s timeline — the timeline that you just referenced and move it back to four days before —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q — today? When the President was in Michigan, he said, “Over my dead body it will happen,” referring to Trump becoming president. He also said, “Another four years of Trump is deadly serious — deadly serious.”
And I think that’s the type of language that we’re — we’re referencing here. And would it be possible to get some sort of indication about whether that kind of language is what we’d expect to continue to hear from the president?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, what I would refer you to is basically what I told Jacqui is the last three days and what the president has said — you heard directly from him — what he’s — what he’s laid out, how he sees the future, how it’s important to be able to speak to different agendas. It is. It is important to speak to someone’s record, someone’s character.
Violence has no place in America. Political violence is not okay. It is not. It is just not.
The president said what we saw on Saturday was sick. I’ve said this about three times — used that word three times in this press briefing.
It is not something that we should condone. We have to condemn violence. And that is something that this president has done — has done throughout his career.
Q And I think we’re clear on that.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q It’s just: Will the language shift from the president —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: What I will s- —
Q — given what you’re talking about?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: What I will say is you’ll hear the president highlight his agenda over the next couple of days. He will continue to do that. He will speak to the importance of — of the American people understanding the differences of where he stands and where Republicans stand.
I got to be mindful here because it is a campaign that we’re speaking about.
And I think, though, if you look at what the president said, if you heard what the president said the last three days and how he’s led this country in this horrific time that we saw coming out of Saturday, I think that’s important. And I think that’s what the American people want to see.
Toning down the vi- — toning down the — the rhetoric and condemning — condemning violence.
I got to wrap it up. Go ahead.
Q Thanks, Karine.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I’m being pulled.
Q Yeah. Thanks, Karine. So — so, then given the language from the leader of the free world, how — does the president or the administration bear any of the responsibility for the environment that we’re in?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: What I will say is — and this is just a re- — re- — repetitive of what I’m saying here: We have to lower the temperature. You heard that from the president. There is no — no place in America for violence. It is important that we are really clear about that.
We do not know — we do not have the answers to what happened on Saturday. What we know is a former president was shot. That is not something that should be accepted here. Right? That is something that we have to condemn. That’s what we know.
There are a lot of questions that are still out there. There are a lot of questions that are still out there. But we have to lower the temperature.
AIDE: Karine —
Q But the president, from the Oval Office, said —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I know. We have to — we have to —
Q — yeah, the president, from the Oval Office, said we have to lower the temperature, but he never said, “It starts with me.”
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: When it comes to political rhetoric out there, when it comes to being mindful of how we are moving forward with our politics here, it takes all of us to lower that temperature, and I think that’s important. That’s important to note. Right?
And I think that’s what the American people want to see. They wanted to hear what the president said in the Oval yesterday. They wanted to hear what the president said on Saturday. Right? It is important to speak to the moment that we’re in and say, “We got to condemn this type of violence.” We do.
Now, there are a lot of open questions here. We don’t have answers to those open questions. The independent investigation will be thorough. That’s what the president wants to see. We want to get to the bottom of it because there are questions that the American people should know as to what happened, what led to that awful, awful night in Saturd- — on Saturday.
I have to actually — the president is waiting for me. So, I have to actually go.
I’ll see you guys on the road. Thanks, everybody.
Q Thank you, Karine.
3:44 P.M. EDT
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