White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre faced pushback from Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy last Thursday over President Biden’s plan to meet with the three Tennessee lawmakers who had been expelled from the state House after they led an anti-gun protest into the chamber while ignoring the families of the victims of last month’s deadly school shooting in Nashville.
It was reported last Wednesday that the president would meet with Tennessee Democrats Justin Jones, Justin Pearson, and Gloria Johnson at the White House on April 24.
The three Democrats, dubbed the “Tennessee Three” by the media, led a mob of angry anti-gun protesters into the state House chamber, disrupting a legislative session. The Republican-led state House voted to expel Jones and Pearson, who were lionized by the media and Democrats in Washington. Both Jones and Pearson were quickly restored to their seats by their local county councils.
During Wednesday’s press briefing, Jean-Pierre announced to reporters that the president had extended the invitation to the three lawmakers whom he had “already spoken with” after they were expelled.
She said Biden believes that the three show-boating legislators are “taking that next step” in demanding a ban on assault weapons, adding that the president was “appreciative” and “proud” of their efforts.
But during Thursday’s press briefing, Doocy brought up the invitation, noting that the three Tennessee legislators led the protest in response to the deadly shooting at the Covenant Christian School in Nashville. He followed up by asking if any of the victims’ families have received an invitation to the White House as well.
A scrambling Jean-Pierre told Doocy that she had nothing to “read out to you about any invite.”
Pressed for a reason why she didn’t, Jean-Pierre defensively repeated her answer, saying she just didn’t have “anything at this time to read out to you.”
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