NEWSKarine Jean-Pierre Asks If She Should 'Bring the Dog Into the Briefing Room' After Reporter Interrogates Her About Commander's Biting Incidents
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre wasn't sure what else to say after she was repeatedly questioned by a reporter on her relationship with President Joe Biden's dog, Commander.
On Thursday, October 5, ABC News White House correspondent Nancy Cordes asked Jean-Pierre if she'd ever had a "troubling encounter" or been "nipped" by the German Shepherd.
Karine Jean-Pierre became the White House Press Secretary on May 13, 2022.
Jean-Pierre replied that she hadn't, but Cordes pressed on, asking whether she had ever been "wary" around him due to the reports of "biting incidents" at the White House.
Again, the press secretary told her "no."
"Absolutely not," she added. "And I’ve seen Commander many times, I was never worried and I’ve never been bit by Commander."
The Biden family got Commander in 2021.
"Have any of your, have any of the members of your staff —" Cordes tried again, but Jean-Pierre cut her off. "What I can say? I don’t have numbers of of of of you know, exact numbers of of any incidents with Commander."
"I’m surprised, I’ve been bitten by a dog. If there was a dog that had bitten 11 or 12 other people. I’d be a little nervous around that dog," Cordes pushed. "Why weren’t you?"
Prior to becoming press secretary, Jean-Pierre was a senior advisor in President Biden's 2020 campaign.
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The 49-year-old laughed. "I mean, I’m not sure why this has to do anything with me," she added. "I was just not nervous at all. So that is not a concern for me. That is not something that, I can’t speak to anything else outside of what you have heard from the first lady’s office. And so I’ll just leave it there."
In response to the odd back-and-forth, another reporter jokingly called out, "Will you make the dog available for questioning?"
"You want me to bring the dog into the briefing room?" Jean-Pierre quipped. "That should be fun. That should be fun."
Commander was reportedly involved in more than 6 biting incidents this year.
As OK! previously reported, Commander reportedly sent at least one Secret Service member to the hospital and was said to be involved in six other biting incident in a four-month period of time.
Elizabeth Alexander, who works as communications director for Jill Biden, explained that the White House can be a "unique and often stressful environment for family pets."
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"They have been partnering with the Secret Service and Executive Residence staff on additional leashing protocols and training, as well as establishing designated areas for Commander to run and exercise," she continued. "According to the Secret Service, each incident referenced was treated similarly to comparable workplace injuries, with relevant notifications and reporting procedures followed."
