A North Carolina-based radio station is making allegations against the White House, asserting that an interview with press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre turned contentious when inquiries about President Joe Biden’s mental acuity and the economy were broached.
Karine Jean-Pierre Melts Down, Ends Interview after Local Radio Host Asks If Biden 'Has Dementia'https://t.co/xzoXcC6AIw
— Slay News (@Slay_News_) March 27, 2024
Jean-Pierre’s interview on 99.3 WBT with Mark Garrison from a Charlotte-based radio station happened before President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ trip to Raleigh, North Carolina, for a campaign event. The interview reportedly concluded abruptly, with Jean-Pierre apparently disconnecting the call after expressing frustration with the questions being asked.
AUDIO: Biden's Press Sec. Karine Jean-Pierre hangs up on radio host after he asked if Biden has dementia 😭 pic.twitter.com/8vrmYMbImF
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) March 26, 2024
Andrew Bates, a spokesperson for the White House, countered the allegations, explaining that Jean-Pierre had a packed schedule of consecutive interviews and was following time constraints. Bates also alleged that the radio station inserted a dial tone sound effect after the interview concluded, a claim vehemently denied by the station.
“The White House assertion that we added a sound effect is nonsense. When she hung up, the phone noise was purely from their end,” Garrison asserted in an email exchange with the Daily Caller.
In addressing Garrison’s assertions, Bates cited a statement given to the Daily Beast, reiterating the position that the radio station tampered with the sound effect.
NEW: The White House is accusing a local radio station of editing in a dial tone to an interview clip with Karine Jean-Pierre where she hung up on the hosts abruptly.
— Reagan Reese (@reaganreese_) March 28, 2024
The radio station told the @DailyCaller that’s a lie: https://t.co/EOnQkZYla4
In the interview, Garrison raised the delicate issue of whether the president is experiencing dementia, eliciting a swift response from Jean-Pierre, who deemed the question “highly offensive” before swiftly transitioning to another topic. Later, following a query regarding the economy, Jean-Pierre seemed to end the discussion abruptly.
The conversation then turned to economic issues in North Carolina, with Garrison questioning how Biden could garner support amidst concerns over increasing prices. Jean-Pierre underscored Biden’s upbringing in the middle class and emphasized his initiatives to ease financial pressures, pointing to reductions in gas and grocery expenses.
The conversation abruptly ended as Jean-Pierre bid farewell, followed by a busy signal, leading Garrison to claim she had disconnected the call.
A person in the studio, whose identity remained unknown, expressed astonishment and accused Jean-Pierre of demonstrating “fragility” in reaction to the questions.
