The Biden admin hates being hit with hard questions. It’s something they rarely have to do.
And now this White House official yelled at a reporter for asking one important question.
On Thursday, John Kirby, National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications, lambasted a foreign news organization reporter for stating that it was “harsh” for President Joe Biden to declare that Palestinian officials are untrustworthy.
The debate occurred during a White House press briefing after Biden was asked about Palestinian accusations about the number of individuals killed inside Gaza by precise Israeli airstrikes on terrorists during a press conference on Wednesday.
This follows the Palestinians’ fabrication of a missile attack on a hospital last week.
“I have no notion that the Palestinians are telling the truth about how many people are killed. I’m sure innocents have been killed, and it’s the price of waging a war,” Biden told reporters.
He went on, “I have no confidence in the number that the Palestinians are using.”
A Brazilian firm, TV Globo, asked Kirby if Biden’s remarks were “insensitive,” noting that the far-left group Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) was “deeply disturbed” by Biden’s remarks.
“Would the president apologize?” She inquired. “And does he regret saying something like that?”
“No,” replied Kirby.
“What’s harsh is the way Hamas is using people as human shields. What’s harsh is taking a couple of hundred hostages and leaving families anxious, waiting, and worrying to figure out where their loved ones are. What’s harsh is dropping in on a music festival and slaughtering a bunch of young people just trying to enjoy an afternoon. I could go on and on. That’s what’s harsh.”
“That is what’s harsh, and being honest about the fact that there have been civilian casualties and that there likely will be more is being honest, because that’s what war is,” he continued.
“It’s brutal. It’s ugly. It’s messy. I’ve said that before. President also said that yesterday. Doesn’t mean we have to like it. And it doesn’t mean that we’re dismissing any one of those casualties.”
Kirby stated that US officials are working closely with Israel to help them avoid civilian casualties as much as possible, but that the final responsibility for civilian casualties in Gaza rests with Hamas.
“It would be helpful if Hamas would let [Gazans] leave — leave their homes, leave areas, not shelter in tunnels underneath their houses and in hospitals and let them get out,” he said.
“And let them get out of Gaza if they want to leave. We know that there are thousands waiting to leave Gaza writ large and Hamas is preventing them from doing it. That is what is harsh.”
WATCH:
OMG I can't believe I'm saying this, but….go John Kirby?
TV Globo’s @RKrahenbuhl: “So, besides saying that he doesn't have confidence in these numbers, the President went further to say that innocents will die and that this is the price of the war. You also said that.”
Kirby:… pic.twitter.com/PhB5SxEHTe
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) October 26, 2023
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