Karine Jean-Pierre (00:04):
Hello. Good afternoon everybody.
Audience (00:05):
Good afternoon.
Karine Jean-Pierre (00:07):
Give me a quick second here. Packed room. I wonder why. Okay, I have a quick thing at the top and then we'll get going. On Tuesday, the president will deliver a speech in D.C on his economic record and legacy, including his transformative investments in America, rebalancing the scales of our country in favor of workers, lowering costs for everyday necessities, and creating a small business boom. Just today, we learned more than 220,000 jobs were created last month, making this the only presidency in 50 years to have job growth every single month. Over the last four years, the president has rejected trickle-down economics and written a new economic playbook that builds the economy from the middle out and bottom up, not the top down. This is a strong foundation for years to come. As many of you have reported, including the Associated Press, Trump will inherit an economy primed for growth. And with that, Associated Press, you have the first question.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
Thanks, Karine. Is the president considering blanket pardons for either individuals or groups of people who are fearful potentially being targeted by the incoming Trump administration?
Karine Jean-Pierre (01:28):
So look, I'm not going to get ahead of the president, but what I can say is that the president is reviewing other pardons in commutations, and I do want to lay out a little bit of the history the president has taken over the last almost four years, actions that he's taken because it's important to note that the president has so far issued 20 individual pardons and 122 commutations. He's issued more sentenced commutations at this point in his presidency than any of his recent predecessors at the same point in their first terms.
(02:02)
This is in addition to groundbreaking categorical pardons that the president issued to address marijuana possession, convictions, military convictions in the LGBTQ+ community. And as recently as April, if you go back a couple of months, the president issued 11 pardons, five commutations for individuals convicted of nonviolent drug offenses, who demonstrated a commitment to rehabilitation. So there certainly will be more to say, just more broadly speaking. And as you know, commutations and pardons are usually done when it's the president's final term, historically around the holidays. And so certainly there'll be more to come. Anything outside of that, I would say that I'm not going to get into private deliberations. I'm just not going to get ahead of the president.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
Are preemptive pardons on the table [inaudible 00:02:55]?
Karine Jean-Pierre (02:55):
I'm just not going to get ahead of the president. Certainly, the president is looking at reviewing next steps and there will be more to come. I'm just not going to get ahead of the president. I'm not going to get into hypotheticals from here.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
And then a different part to your question, in your first briefing here as Press Secretary, you committed to speaking to the American people, and I quote, "In a transparent way, in a truthful way and an honest way." And then in July here at this podium, you were asked about the president pardoning his son, and he said, "It's a no, it will be a no, it's a no."
Karine Jean-Pierre (03:31):
Yes. And that is exactly right.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
[inaudible 00:03:34] of the president's son and that pardon, it became a yes. I'm wondering if you would like to explain to us, the American people, really why the information that you provided turned out not to be true.
Karine Jean-Pierre (03:47):
And I answered this question on Monday. We spent about 30 minutes on this, almost 30 minutes, roughly 30 minutes on this particular issue. And I'm just going to reiterate what I said on Air Force One to your colleagues when I did the Gaggle. And look, if you look at his statement, it's pretty comprehensive. The statement that he put out on Sunday when he made this decision to pardon his son, Hunter Biden, it's in his own voice. I think it takes you through his thinking. And he did. He wrestled with this. He wrestled with this. And again, he said in his statement, in his own voice that he made that decision this past weekend. And the fact is, when you think about how the president got to this decision, circumstances have changed. They have, and a couple of things, and I said this on Monday as well, Republicans said they weren't going to let up, weren't going to stop. Recently announced Trump appointees for law enforcement have said on the campaign that they were out for a retribution.
(04:49)
And I think we should believe their words, right? We should believe what they say. The sentencing was coming up. As you all know, there was a sentencing coming up and the president said this in his statement that Hunter and his family had been through enough. Enough is enough. And he wrestled with these circumstances, these changed circumstances ultimately. And the combination of that, certainly led to the president changing his mind and issuing this pardon. And one thing that I do want to point to, which I think is important is what Congressman James Clyburn said when he was interviewed. He said, "I am absolutely okay with it. I don't know how many people urge him to do so, but I did. He seemed to be reticent about it." This is what Clyburn said when he spoke to the president two weeks ago.
(05:37)
"But I emphasized," continuing his quote, "emphasized the fact that we as fathers have obligations to our children." So that was a conversation that the congressman himself had with the president two weeks ago, said that the president was reticent when he encouraged the president to do so. And this weekend he thought about it and he weighed it. It was not an easy decision to come to. And he put out a comprehensive statement. And I would certainly offer that up to folks out there who are wondering. I would say, please read the president's response to this in full.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
I'm sure my colleagues have [inaudible 00:06:17] just very specifically-
Karine Jean-Pierre (06:19):
It's not only colleagues who watched this, there's also the American people. So to be fair.
Speaker 1 (06:24):
And they were told by you in July that this would not happen. And it did. I'm asking for yourself, not the president, but for yourself, do you feel like you are owed an apology by the president? Do you owe an apology to the American people?
Karine Jean-Pierre (06:36):
I just laid out the president's thinking. The president laid it out himself in his own words. He did. He laid out how he wrestled with this decision. He said in his statement as a president, as a father, he talked about how difficult it was to make this decision. He thought about it this weekend. He did. He thought about it this weekend. He wrestled with it. And there are some factors, some real factors that he took into consideration. And that's why I keep saying folks should just take a look. Take a look, read his statement. And I know what I said. I know what the president said. That is where we were at the time. That is where the president was at the time. I am his spokesperson. This weekend, he thought about it, he wrestled with it. He wrestled with it and made this decision. That's what I can tell the American people.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
Why should they have any confidence in anything else?
Karine Jean-Pierre (07:41):
I think the American people understand, and I think they understand how difficult this decision would be. And I would actually add, and I think it's important to note here as you're asking me these questions, important questions to ask, that there was a poll, a USGov poll that came out that some of you all reported on it and it said 64% of the American people agree with the pardon, 64% of the American people. So we get a sense of where the American people are on this. Obviously it's one poll, but it gives you a little bit of insight. 64% is nothing to sneeze at.
(08:19)
But again, the president talked about this, his own words. He said this weekend, he wrestled with. This weekend he thought about this and he made this decision. And let's not forget, we can't also forget what some of the legal experts and former prosecutors have all agreed on. Many across the country have virtually said no one would be criminally prosecuted with felony offenses with these facts. And they've all agreed. We've heard from many legal experts on this. You heard me quote the former Attorney General Eric multiple times, I think about eight times on Monday. "No US attorney would have charged this case given the underlying facts. Had his name been Joe Smith, the resolution would have been fundamentally and more fairly a declination, pardon warranted." And we've heard from many legal experts and also former… Obviously a former US attorney. Okay?
Kelly (09:17):
All of those things you laid out were known long before Thanksgiving, and many Americans in reflecting the 64% certainly understand a father's point of view. But the president was declarative. You were declarative. You didn't give room for, depending on the outcome of the election or depending on the rhetoric coming from the potential next administration, the certainty with which the president and you portrayed the no pardon is part of where the question comes from. Because all the facts that you have outlined were well known in advance.
Karine Jean-Pierre (09:52):
And I would add there has been some circumstances that have changed this, right? Republicans not letting up, saying they won't stop. They're going to continue to do this. I mentioned the recent Trump appointees of legal enforcement positions that said during the campaign they were out for retribution. And so no reason to not take them for their word. I pointed that. There was a sentencing coming up, as you all know.
Kelly (10:18):
That was well known.
Karine Jean-Pierre (10:20):
I said, there are multiple factors here. Not one thing thing led to this, multiple factors. And if think, if you look at all of these, it's a combination of reasons why the President wrestled with this over the weekend and made this decision.
Kelly (10:34):
Now that you've had time and the President has had time to absorb how the public has responded to this, to think on it further, does he have any concerns about the fact that he had been so declarative and then granted this pardon? It's clearly done. And many Americans understand as a father how he would do that, but does he have concern about his credibility or the impact it might have on future pardons?
Karine Jean-Pierre (10:57):
And I will also say, just to bring up Clyburn again, because I think it's important because you were asking me what we said over the summer. Clyburn spoke to the president two weeks ago, and the president, he said, this is Clyburn's words. "The president was reticent," when he tried to encourage him to pardon Hunter Biden. And I think that is his son, obviously. And I think that's important to note. Look, I would refer you back to the last couple of sentences in the president's statement, and I think it's important here where he talked about wrestling this and understanding that the American people are fair-minded and talked about the importance of doing this and thinking about this over the weekend and coming to this decision and how he wrestled with it.
(11:49)
And that was, I think, a message directly to the American people. Obviously, the whole comprehensive statement was something that he wanted to share with the American people. But I think the way he ended his statement actually acknowledges, and wanted to be very clear to the American people, his own personal thinking about this and understanding that they would look at this and he believed they would be fair-minded about it. This was not easy for the President. It wasn't. It wasn't. Because you all mentioned the statements that we have made over the summer. So obviously this wasn't easy to come to this decision-
Kelly (12:29):
The president reserved the right to consider it later. And when he is that declarative as the President of the United States, that's where it carries weight.
Karine Jean-Pierre (12:34):
I understand. And Kelly, you know this president, you followed him during his vice presidency. You have covered him. When he's asked a question directly, he answers it directly.
Kelly (12:44):
So we are where we are. So does he regret that he had misled the public about what would eventually happen?
Karine Jean-Pierre (12:50):
Look, what I will say is he laid out his thought process. He talked about the underlying facts of the
Karine Jean-Pierre (13:00):
Of the case. He thought it was very important, that was part of the first paragraph of his statement, wanting to explain and talking about the gun charges, talking about the tax cases, and wanting to make sure that they understood, these types of things would not be a normal reason to prosecute. Virtually no one would be criminally prosecuted with felony offenses with these facts. Absent aggravated factors, similar charges are rarely brought, when you think about gun charges. The tax cases such as Hunter's, when taxes are repaid with penalties, are rarely criminally charged, they are handled civilly. These are the things that the legal experts also agreed with him on, so he wanted to lay that out for the American people as well. I don't have anything else beyond what the President laid out, his thinking in his written statement, in his words. I just don't have anything beyond that.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
The President has also faced real swift criticism from members of his own party around this pardon. Democrats have called it a setback, a mistake, said that they're worried Republicans will use this against Democrats in the future. Has the President felt the need to respond directly to any of his Democratic colleagues around their criticism of this move?
Karine Jean-Pierre (14:23):
Look, what the President is going to focus on, and you've heard us say this, is running through the tape. He's going to focus on the American people. He's going to continue to deliver historic progress every day. That's going to be his focus. If you think about his legacy more broadly, it includes getting us out of COVID, it includes bringing the economy back. It includes beating big Pharma. It includes making sure that we had an infrastructure investment that we were able to do in a bipartisan way. We're talking about not just actions that the President has taken that people are going to feel today, but for generations to come. That's going to be his focus. I think folks in his party are going to have a lot of thoughts on this, obviously, but we've heard quotes and support from many elected officials.
(15:16)
I just mentioned Jim Clyburn, there was Senator Dick Durbin, he said, "It's a right given to the President, a power given to him under the Constitution, and Joe Biden is using it in a very humane way. I think Hunter Biden has been exploited for political purposes. It's not the first time, it won't be the last time in American history, but I can certainly understand Joe Biden standing up and saying that he wants to protect his son." Nancy Pelosi, when she was asked about this particular issue, she said, "I support the President." Representative Jasmine Crockett, "I think that it was the right move." There's been others in the Democratic Party, part of the leadership and others, who have supported this President and his decision.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
When the President is saying that he believed it was a political prosecution, does it make it easier for incoming Trump to also say that he's pardoning January 6th rioters because he believes that those are political?
Karine Jean-Pierre (16:11):
Look, I'm not going to get into what the incoming administration is going to do or not do. That's not something that I'm going to speak to. I've been pretty consistent about that since the election. We've been very clear about where we stand on January 6th, so not going to get into that. I think, and some of you have reported this, Republicans, his political opponents in Congress have been very clear about this. The President talks about this again in his own statement, about how they took credit for bringing political pressure on the process when it came to Hunter Biden's plea deal. They took credit for that when it fell apart, they took credit for that, and they have said they're not going to stop. Again, I'm not going to point to one particular reason for the President making this decision. There's been changing factors that led him to where he weighted this decision over the weekend.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
I just look at where Zeke started, about the idea of preemptive pardons, you clearly didn't rule that out. You confirmed that the White House is really considering that in your response to-
Karine Jean-Pierre (17:22):
I'm not confirming anything. I'm just saying, I'm not going to get ahead of the President on this issue. There's a process.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
Are you ruling out the idea of preemptive pardons?
Karine Jean-Pierre (17:30):
What I'm saying is, I'm not getting ahead of the President. I'm not. He's going to be make announcements on pardons and commutations. That is something, historically, presidents do, especially at the end of their term. That normally happens around the holiday, so you could expect the President making a decision. What I can talk to and speak to is this particular pardon a couple of days ago, of his son, and what he's been able to do. I laid out some historic actions that the President has taken when it comes to pardons, when it comes to commutations over the past four years, as recently as this past April. I am not going to get into hypotheticals here. I'm not going to get into the President's thinking.
Speaker 2 (18:12):
It's not hypothetical. Have people come and asked the President for a preemptive pardon because they're worried about a potential prosecution from the Trump Administration?
Karine Jean-Pierre (18:18):
What I can say is, we have seen from advocates who have been very public in lobbying the administration, certainly for pardons and clemency, commutations, we've heard from them. You all have seen it, so obviously, we've heard them. I'm just not going to get into specifics of what we're going to do, not do. I'm not going to get ahead of the President, and I think you can understand that process that we're going to keep going. Go ahead Tara.
Tara (18:46):
Thank you. You mentioned that there is a process. I would love if you could spell out exactly how that process is working. Is it in conjunction with the Justice Department? Who in the White House is handling it? And then, you could answer whether the Hunter one was inside or outside of that process, but let's start with the process.
Karine Jean-Pierre (19:02):
Well, no, I actually answered that question on Monday. The President made the decision on the pardon for Hunter Biden. The White House reached out to the Department of Justice because that has to be filed with the Department of Justice. It was the President's decision. There was no consultation with the Department of Justice. As you know, the President has the right to do this. That was, obviously, a very separate process. As it relates to more commutations, more pardons, that process, obviously, the Department of Justice is involved in that. There's a review process, and that's how we're going to move forward on making those types of decisions.
Tara (19:44):
Who at the White House is leading it up? Is it the Counsel's Office, or is it chief of staff?
Karine Jean-Pierre (19:48):
Well look, obviously, the White House Counsel will be part of this process. I just don't have anything beyond that.
Tara (19:56):
And just quickly, President Trump is going to be in France this weekend for the reopening of the Notre Dame, also meeting with President Macron. How does this White House view President Trump's meetings with foreign leaders happening while you're still here?
Karine Jean-Pierre (20:13):
Look, it's not unusual, as you've heard us say before, you've heard the National Security Council say as well. I think Jake Sullivan, when he was asked this question, [inaudible 00:20:21] the President's National Security Advisor made that same comment. It's not unusual when there is a President-elect for heads of states, foreign leaders who want to have that conversation with the President-elect. I'll just leave that there. Okay, go ahead.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
Thank you, Karine. Just to follow up to Tara's question, why isn't the President of the United States going to go to the reopening of the Notre Dame de Paris? Why not?
Karine Jean-Pierre (20:52):
As you know, the First Lady is attending, and she's attending as part of her larger travel swing to Italy, UAE and Qatar. She will be representing the administration. They were both invited to be there for the reopening of the Notre Dame. The President had a scheduling conflict, which is why he was not able to attend. Any specifics on the First Lady's trip, and what that's going to look like, I certainly would refer you to the First Lady's office.
Speaker 3 (21:22):
The President was invited?
Karine Jean-Pierre (21:24):
Yeah, he was. There a was scheduling conflict, which is why he decided not to attend. The First Lady is there, and he's very proud that she's there representing us. Anything further on her visit, certainly I would refer you to their office.
Speaker 3 (21:38):
Thank you, Karine. I also have a question, the Canadian Foreign Minister today launched Canada's new Arctic foreign policy, face Russia, China. Four years later, and with a successor who seems to be skeptical, how does the President see Canada's involvement in mutual defense and international issues, international crises?
Karine Jean-Pierre (22:08):
Look, the President values our strong partnership with Canada, and their leadership to this particular announcement on addressing major challenges of our time, such as combating climate change. As you know, the President has taken that issue very seriously by putting forth one of the most historic pieces of legislation that really deals with climate change in a way that we have not seen any other administration deal with it. Canada's contribution, as you all know, to Ukraine's defense, and multilateral security support mission in Haiti have been consequential. We value the Canadians' cooperation in securing the Arctic region that is peaceful, stable, and prosperous and cooperative. Again, we value that strong partnership, and I think they have shown leadership on many things that they have certainly partnered with us in the past four years.
Speaker 4 (23:03):
Thank you, Karine. On Syria, as you know, armed groups are closing rapidly on many Syrian cities and against the Assad regime. How does the White House see the outcome, or the best outcome, and what messages do you have to the regime in Syria?
Karine Jean-Pierre (23:19):
We're closely monitoring the situation in Syria, and have been in contact with the countries in the region. The NSC put out a statement just last weekend, " The Assad regime's ongoing refusal to engage in the political process outlined in UNSCR 2054, and its reliance on Russia and Iran created the conditions now unfolding, including the collapse of Assad regime lines in northwest Syria. The United States, together with its partners and allies, urge de-escalation, protection of civilians and minority groups, and a serious and credible political process that can end this civil war once and for all with a peaceful settlement consistent with UNSCR 2254." We're going to continue to obviously defend and protect U.S. personnel and U.S. military, the President has been always very clear about that. Obviously, U.S. personnel and U.S. military, they remain essential to ensuring that ISIS can never again resurge in Syria, but more broadly, to answer your question, we're going to closely monitor the situation in Syria.
Speaker 4 (24:34):
Since this statement, developments have been so fast, cities after cities are falling. Maybe by the weekend, maybe the Assad regime is not going to be there anymore.
Karine Jean-Pierre (24:46):
Well, I'm not going to get into hypotheticals of what's going to happen in the next couple of days, or how it's going to play out. What we are doing, we're monitoring the situation, we're taking this very seriously. You saw the statement from the National Security Council just this past weekend. We're going to continue to stay in contact with countries in the region. That's what I can say that we're going to do, continue to be in touch, continue to monitor. I don't want to get into hypotheticals from here.
Speaker 4 (25:13):
One last thing.
Karine Jean-Pierre (25:13):
Sure.
Speaker 4 (25:17):
As you know, the Russians have been supporting the Assad regime since the beginning, but today, they said they're going to play a limited role in [inaudible 00:25:24]. Is this a welcoming statement from the White House, the Russians saying they're not supporting the regime the way they did in the past?
Karine Jean-Pierre (25:32):
Look, I'm not going to get into what the Russians are doing or not doing. What we're going to do is monitor this really closely. We're going to continue to talk with the countries in the region. Remember, as I just stated, we have U.S. personnel on the ground, we have U.S. military. It is important to the President that we continue to make sure that they're safe. Their safety is considered here. I'm just not going to get into
Karine Jean-Pierre (26:00):
… what the Russians have said and what they're going to do and not do. Okay.
Speaker 5 (26:04):
Thanks Karine. Zeke asked this question, I just didn't hear an answer. The next time that the President says he will or won't do something, why should the American people believe him?
Karine Jean-Pierre (26:15):
I answered that question. I don't have anything else to add. I answered the question. I answered the question.
Speaker 5 (26:18):
Can you explain it in a way that's understandable?
Karine Jean-Pierre (26:21):
I can't speak to you understanding the question or not, or my answer or not on this. I don't have anything else to say. I'm not going to re-litigate this. I did it on Monday for 30 minutes. I went back and forth. I laid out, I said, "Please read the President's really comprehensive statement on this." And I even said, "The last paragraph of that statement, he talks directly to the American people." And that's how I answered that question.
Speaker 5 (26:46):
Can you acknowledge that it may have been a mistake by the president, for you, to say multiple times unequivocally, that he would not pardon his son?
Karine Jean-Pierre (26:57):
The President laid out in that statement what changed, why his mind changed, how he wrestled with this decision. The President laid that out. I don't have anything else to add.
Speaker 5 (27:07):
So that statement, he said in part, "I believe in the justice system, but as I have wrestled with this, I also believe raw politics has affected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice." Just to understand that sentence, I think it's important.
Karine Jean-Pierre (27:22):
Yeah, sure.
Speaker 5 (27:23):
Is it that the president believes in the justice system except in some cases?
Karine Jean-Pierre (27:28):
He believes in the justice system. He believes the facts are, obviously I talked about the gun charges, what legal experts have said. Former prosecutors have all agreed, virtually no one would be criminally prosecuted for underlying factors of Hunter's case. I talked about the gun charges, I talked about the taxes, the tax cases. And there are other factors here, what Republicans have said, as they weren't going to let up. I talked about the upcoming sentencing and what Hunter and his family have been through. I talked about the appointees by the incoming president on law enforcement positions and he wrestled with it. He did.
(28:12)
And I also talked about what Jim Clyburn said. So you're asking me about an apology, but Jim Clyburn said himself in the conversation that he had with the president just two weeks ago, he said the president was reticent when he encouraged the president, when he himself, Jim Clyburn encouraged the president to move forward with it. Congressman Clyburn, the president, responded to him by saying he was reticent. And so this was not an easy decision. It wasn't. It wasn't an easy decision.
(28:44)
And it was a lot of circumstances here. And we can't pass over what legal experts and former U.S. attorneys have said on this. And across the country, they've all basically agreed virtually, virtually no one would be criminally prosecuted with felony offenses with these facts. And I have gone through the under two important underlying facts of the cases. And I just don't have anything beyond that to add or to say. I've laid out our thought process. The president has laid out his thought process. And we've talked about the case. We've talked about his thinking. And I just don't have anything beyond that.
Speaker 6 (29:29):
The president just got back from a multi-day trip to Angola, where he engaged the press I think literally, one time just to quickly confirm that he was getting briefed on the situation in Korea.
Karine Jean-Pierre (29:41):
Yep, yep.
Speaker 6 (29:41):
His last foreign trip. It was six days in South America. As you know, he didn't engage reporters during that trip. After that last trip, he told us in this briefing room that he believes in the value of engaging the press. He enjoys it. You said he will continue to engage reporters. There will be opportunities to talk to him. So why is it that he is avoiding reporters?
Karine Jean-Pierre (30:03):
Look, we still have 45 days left in this administration. The president does, he does believe in the freedom of the press, right? He believes in that. I think we have shown in the last four years bringing back the norms of engaging with all of you. We have respected that process. I hope you guys think that, that we've tried to do the best that we can to do that. And the president, he does, he really does enjoy having a back and forth. And when the president… And I do want to say, he did take a moment to have a back and forth with all of you when he was in Nantucket with some of your colleagues who traveled with him. He did take some questions there. So it's not like he hasn't taken questions at all.
(30:46)
He did do a gaggle when he was in Nantucket around the holiday and took some questions. And so he'll continue to do that. And look, he was really focused. And many of you who've asked me this question, he was focused on his last OCONUS. He had the last G20, he had APEC, which was all incredibly important. He wanted to focus on his engagement with leaders, heads of states. He did that. The trip to Africa, as you all know, was a promise that he wanted to keep. And it was a great trip with very substantive discussions. And we were able, again, for the president to show his global leadership. And so I would say to all of you, you certainly will hear from him in the next 45 days.
Speaker 6 (31:34):
Do you consider it upholding norms for the president to basically, not engage the press in at least two back-to-back [inaudible 00:31:41]?
Karine Jean-Pierre (31:41):
What I would say, is upholding norms is what we have been able to do in the last four years. And I would encourage folks to look at the four years more broadly, and what the president has been able to do, and what the President has engaged with all of you. And again, I would say, especially from here, we have always respected and want to continue to respect the freedom of the press and have a healthy back and forth. And that is the norm that I think, yes, we brought back, we brought back into this from this administration. Go ahead, Karen.
Karen (32:19):
Thanks Karine. A U.S. official said that the administration won't be able to use up the nearly $7 billion in military aid that Congress had approved for Ukraine before the president leaves the office. How much money do you estimate that will still be left when the president leaves? And is the president concerned that the incoming administration is not going to get that out the door to Ukraine?
Karine Jean-Pierre (32:42):
So as you know, back in September 29th, we put out a statement. The president was very clear about wanting to surge resources into Ukraine, and wanted to make sure that they had everything that they need as what was happening on the ground, a situation on the ground, circumstances on the ground was changing. And our commitment has been very steadfast. You have seen us since that date continuing to make announcements on assistance going towards Ukraine. I don't have a number for you or an estimation of how much money would be left or not left in after 45 days, as I just mentioned. I would refer you to the Department of Defense to get that specific number.
(33:23)
But we are committed to getting the money out the door. We are committed to make sure that Ukraine has the resources that it needs. As you know, we have led that, this president has led certainly that charge globally, in making sure that Ukraine has the support, making sure 50 countries have gotten behind Ukraine, making sure the NATO alliance is stronger than it's ever been before. And I think you see that commitment from this president. And so we're going to continue to surge that.
Karen (33:51):
With this acknowledgement that there will be funding left when he leaves, and given that this has been such a top priority for the administration and for this president, is he worried that when he leaves that the incoming administration is going to leave this money on the table and not get it out?
Karine Jean-Pierre (34:06):
And so look, again, I'm trying to be really mindful not to get into hypotheticals or what the next administration is going to do or not do. We've got to let that process move forward. What I will say and remind folks, that we got that funding in a bipartisan effort, right? That's how we were able to get that funding to make sure the resources were getting into Ukraine. And so that was done in a bipartisan way. And we can't take Russia off the hook here, right? They are the aggressors here. They are the ones that went into a sovereign territory. And again, we say this all the time, this war can end today if Russia would stop their aggression. But again, it was done in a bipartisan way. We can't forget that. Go ahead, John.
Karen (34:48):
[inaudible 00:34:49].
John (34:48):
Thank you.
Karine Jean-Pierre (34:49):
Okay.
John (34:49):
Karine, before the election, the Senate passed a bill that would've added an additional 60 judges to the judiciary. That bill is now going to the House, and there are some Democrats who are now not supportive of that bill, because it would mean President-Elect Trump would have an additional 60 judges spaces to fill. What's the administration's view on that bill? Would the president sign or veto it?
Karine Jean-Pierre (35:17):
And so I need to talk to the president and Office of Legislative Affairs about this. I have not had that discussion about this particular bill. As you know, we have been pretty aggressive and steadfast in getting our nominated judges, qualified judges through in the Senate process. And so we have been able to steadily do that over the past couple of weeks on this particular legislation. I just need to talk to the team. I don't want to get ahead of them.
John (35:47):
Right, and one more on pardons.
Karine Jean-Pierre (35:49):
Sure.
John (35:49):
With having pardoned his son, some of the criticism that came from the left, including I believe Black Lives Matter, was that Black men have been unfairly charged in prisons and don't have fathers who have the ability to pardon them. Does the fact that the president has pardoned his son, who was convicted by a jury and did plead guilty on the tax charges, put pressure on the president? Or does he feel pressure to do an even greater number of pardons this time around for people who don't have that privilege?
Karine Jean-Pierre (36:28):
So there's a process. The president's going to go through it. Not going to get ahead of him. But again, I do want to… I hope folks don't forget what the president has been able to do, the actions that he's been able to take over the last four years. I went through them, just to touch on them a little bit, he's issued 20 individual pardons, 122 commutations. He's issued more sentenced commutation at this point in his presidency than any of his recent predecessors at the same point in the first term. This is in addition to the groundbreaking categorical pardons that the president issued to address marijuana possession, convictions, and military convictions in the LGBT plus community.
(37:13)
And let's not forget what he was able to do in April, 11, pardons five commutations for individuals convicted of nonviolent drug offenses, who demonstrated a commitment to rehab. And so there's going to be more to come. But what the President has done, he's shown his commitment to making sure that he takes these pardons as he has over the last four years, in a way that is important for communities that you just spoke to. And he's talked about the criminal justice system. He's taken actions in a way that we can address, with the inequalities of the criminal justice system. And I would say that this president's commitment has been very clear on this. And he has been, again, very steadfast and has made a difference, has made a difference. There's going to be more to speak to in the upcoming weeks. And so certainly, the president will address it.
Speaker 5 (38:15):
Does he have a response to that kind of criticism?
Karine Jean-Pierre (38:19):
Look, again, I just laid out the actions.
Speaker 5 (38:21):
My question is does he get that some people feel that their sons and daughters deserve the same?
Karine Jean-Pierre (38:29):
And so I will say, and I keep going back to his comprehensive written statement, because he speaks to his thought process. Obviously, I've said this many times, he speaks to wrestling with this. He speaks to the underlying factors, as I've mentioned many times from here. And he speaks to how Republicans have politically gone after his son over and over again and continue to say they're not going to stop.
Karine Jean-Pierre (39:00):
And we've heard from legal experts who have said that basically if his name was Joe Smith-
Speaker 7 (39:09):
[inaudible 00:39:09]. I'm asking about these other people who are also in jail and were also convicted.
Karine Jean-Pierre (39:13):
And I've answered that by talking about the actions that the president has taken. I've answered that by pointing to the president's statements, him wrestling with this and laying out his thought process. It was in his own words.
(39:29)
And you also asked me if there are going to be additional pardons, there will be. We're reviewing it, we're trying to figure out the next steps in this. And you'll hear from the president on this in the next couple of weeks. But we can't put aside the important notes that I made about the actions that the president has taken on issues that matter to the community.
(39:58)
And again, I said he's issued more sentence commutation at this point in his presidency than any of his recent predecessors at this same point in their first terms. That matters. He's taking this very seriously. And so that's what I hope folks would take from that; a president that's been very serious, that's taken actions. And that's how I'm going to answer that question. Go ahead.
Speaker 8 (40:26):
Thanks, Karine. When you're standing there at the lectern, you are The White House Press Secretary speaking on behalf of the president, conveying his thoughts and views of the administration. And it's for that reason that you said on his behalf all those times that he had no plans to do what he did on Sunday. Has he expressed any regret to you directly or personally for having put you in this position and now having to go back?
Karine Jean-Pierre (40:53):
Look, I understand this question. And you started off… I think the way you started off the question is basically how I feel, right? And I think all of us who work in this administration.
(41:03)
I work for the president, I speak for the president, I comment on behalf of what he feels and thinks. And that's my job. That's my job as the press secretary, The White House Press Secretary, the person who speaks on behalf of the President of the United States. And that's how I feel. I feel like it's my-
Speaker 8 (41:22):
Did he apologize to you?
Karine Jean-Pierre (41:25):
Look, there's no apology needed maybe to answer that question. No apology needed. What I will say is this is a president… You've heard me talk about the legal experts, what they have said, how they agreed with the president in taking this action. You've heard me say that over and over again.
(41:48)
I've laid out quotes from different U.S. attorneys, prosecutors who really laid out how the underlying factors of Hunter's case would not lead to what had occurred in the past several months. And I will also say this, and you heard this president say this many times before, he believes when it comes to his family, when it comes to how he moves forward about thinking about his family, they're the beginning, the middle, and the end.
(42:19)
And he wrestled with this. It was not an easy thing for him to decide. There's a reason why I keep bringing up Congressman Jim Clyburn is because this is someone who spoke to the president just two weeks ago and encouraged him to do so, to pardon his son. And at the time, the congressman said, two weeks ago, that this president was reticent. So, obviously, obviously, he wrestled with this. So no apology needed from him to me.
Speaker 8 (42:48):
One of the other things he often says is that voters should trust his, quote, "word [inaudible 00:42:52]." Should they still?
Karine Jean-Pierre (42:55):
Yes, the president-
Speaker 8 (42:56):
I mean, this was a pretty big defiant public pronouncement by him that he wasn't going to do this, and he did.
Karine Jean-Pierre (43:01):
I hear you and I understand. The president wrestled with this, he truly did. And I called out the U.S. Gov Poll where 64% of Americans, that's not a small number, agree with the president's decision to pardon his son. And I think that gives you a little bit of a tiny window of where the American people are on this.
Speaker 8 (43:24):
He sidestepped a judge and a jury's decisions on the cases involving his son, he criticized the political nature of the prosecution. The next president has spent the last several years vowing to upend the Justice Department and the FBI. Looking at their current and future president, why should any American continue to have confidence in the American justice system?
Karine Jean-Pierre (43:43):
Well, the president does have confidence in the American justice system, and he said that in his statement, certainly continues to have confidence in the Department of Justice.
Speaker 8 (43:56):
[inaudible 00:43:56] two leaders who single out incidents that involve them or their families and say, "Well, they're not being fair to me." But the rest of you should [inaudible 00:44:03].
Karine Jean-Pierre (44:04):
Can I just be very blunt here? The situation with Hunter Biden and what the incoming president has said are very different.
Speaker 8 (44:11):
But they're making similar arguments, which is that they've been unfairly prosecuted because of who they are.
Karine Jean-Pierre (44:15):
I don't think those two things are the same. I just don't. I don't. They're not the same. They're just not. And I think the American people understand that. I do. I do think they believe and understand that they're not the same.
(44:31)
What the president's son had to go through and what we've heard from legal experts, former U.S. Attorneys General, who look at this case, who understand this case, and have said this would not virtually… there would not be this situation. And I think that's important to note as well. And they've been very clear about this. We've heard from many of them.
(44:54)
Legal experts, former U.S. attorneys from across the country, again, have all agreed virtually no one would be criminally prosecuted with felony offenses with these facts. I talked about these facts as it relates to the gun charges and tax cases that… obviously, Hunter Biden's case. And so you can take their word for it. You can take their word for it. Okay.
Speaker 8 (45:19):
Oh, wait. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Bring that back. Debra Tice just told the National Press Club, "From a significant source in our government, Austin Tice is alive." Is that what they were told today here at The White House?
Karine Jean-Pierre (45:31):
I don't have anything to share about conversation on this particular matter. What I can say, though, is that-
Speaker 8 (45:43):
Because there was a meeting here today at The White House [inaudible 00:45:46].
Karine Jean-Pierre (45:46):
No, exactly. The National Security Advisor to the President, Jake Sullivan, did have a meeting with Austin Tice's family this afternoon. And Jake Sullivan has regularly met with the families of wrongfully detained Americans, so this is in line of what he has been able to do. And so we're going to continue to make sure that we get Americans who are wrongfully detained or Americans home to their families.
(46:10)
You've seen that. I think you've seen that commitment truly from this administration, what we have been able to do certainly in the last several months, over the past four years. And we've brought home 75 unjustly detained around the world. So we work around the clock. We partner obviously with partnership with our allies, and we negotiate the release of Americans.
(46:33)
I don't have anything to say about that particular statement, but obviously, Austin Tice's family, I can't even imagine what they're going through right now as they think about Austin Tice, as they, I'm sure, have continued to hope and pray for Austin to come home to them. And what we have been committed to is making sure that Americans get home. 75 Americans unjustly detained around the world. We have been able to do that because of this president's leadership. And so I think that matters, and I think that shows the president's commitment.
Speaker 9 (47:10):
Karine. Karine.
Karine Jean-Pierre (47:12):
Go ahead. Go ahead. I know where you're going. Go ahead.
Speaker 10 (47:14):
Thanks, Karine. Soon after the president announced the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah, President-Elect Trump's team immediately claimed credit for it. Just last week, there was a video out released by Hamas of one of the hostages. Is The White House working with the Trump team to negotiate the hostage crisis?
Karine Jean-Pierre (47:50):
So what I can say is we're going to continue to work 24/7 as we have, day and night, to secure a deal. And that would certainly free the hostages, bring about a ceasefire in Gaza. And so we have been in touch with the president-elect's team to ensure that they're aware of our efforts, and so we believe they are supportive of them, the president-elect's team, and these conversations have been constructive.
(48:22)
But we have been doing the work for some time, right? We've been working around the clock in getting that done. And so that's what we're going to continue to focus on. Okay. All right. Thanks, everybody.
Speaker 11 (48:33):
Karine. Karine.
Karine Jean-Pierre (48:34):
Thanks, everyone.
Speaker 11 (48:34):
[inaudible 00:48:35] the UnitedHealthcare CEO, can you address that briefly, Karine? The murder of the UnitedHealthcare CEO.