Press Secretary Karine Pierre Lock Horns with Fox Reporter Over 'Dangerous' Question About Trump

Donald Trump's second assassination attempt led to a clash between White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and Fox News reporter Peter Doocy. During a press briefing after a gunman was caught aiming at Trump outside his golf course, Doocy slammed Jean-Pierre for her constant reference to the ex-president as a 'threat' to democracy and how it led to the violence. 

"How many more assassination attempts on Donald Trump until the president and vice president and you pick a different word to describe Trump, other than 'threat?'" questioned Doocy. "It's been only two days since somebody allegedly tried to kill Donald Trump again, and you're here at the podium in the White House briefing room calling him a "threat,'" per Daily Mail. 

However, KJP hit back at Doocy, calling his question 'dangerous' since the whole of America is watching them. "I actually completely disagree with the premise of your question. The question that you're asking, it is also incredibly dangerous in the way that you're asking it, because the American people are watching and to say that, to say that [about] an administration that has consistently condemned political violence." 

In addition, she reminded Doocy and all other correspondents present at the briefing of the number of times when Democrats condemned violence (of any kind) including the Jan. 6 riots on Capitol Hill, the attack on Paul Pelosi, and the two failed assassinations attempts on the Republican nominee. And she also insisted that her assessment of Trump regarding Jan. 6 is factual. 

"There are people, law enforcement officers who died because of what happened at the Capitol and they were there because the former president told them to go there," Jean-Pierre argued. "I mean, if that's not a threat to our democracy — it was one of the darkest days of our democracy, January 6." 

But Doocy further asked if KJP realizes people could be taking her inciteful words "literally," leading to violent attacks on Trump. The press secretary defended, "We're using examples. January 6th, Peter, January 6th—wait, January 6th. How many times do I—January 6th, 2021? That is a fact, what was reported, what happened on that day by some of your colleagues. I mean, and we have at the same time denounced political violence over and over and over again." 

Meanwhile, conservatives on social media sided with Doocy on Joe Biden and Kamala Harris' rhetoric about Trump. Nick Sortor, @nicksortor, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, "Fox's Peter Doocy just ROASTED Karine Jean-Pierre for her and the White House's continued violent rhetoric, and KJP got TICKED. These people are clearly going to continue these violent narratives. Evil." 

Comedian Tim Young echoed Doocy and wrote, "KJP: gaslights by saying it's dangerous for him to ask that, and his tone is dangerous... She thinks you're stupid." In a subsequent tweet, he added, "Karine Jean-Pierre called President Trump a threat to democracy AGAIN today... Because she's intentionally dog-whistling psychopaths to keep trying. Disgusting." 

The 78-year-old also blamed Biden-Harris for people's hatred towards him. "He [gunman] believed the rhetoric of Biden and Harris, and he acted on it. Their rhetoric is causing me to be shot at, when I am the one who is going to save the country, and they are the ones that are destroying the country — both from the inside and out," as per Fox News.