‘Excuse Me?’: Peter Doocy Squares Off With KJP Over FEMA, Biden-Harris Hurricane Response

Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy provoked a testy response from Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre during a Monday briefing, eventually prompting her to pack up her binder and walk out of the room.

Doocy pressed Jean-Pierre on Vice President Kamala Harris’ weekend post announcing more than $150 million in aid going to Lebanon, noting that American citizens across the southeastern United States had not yet fully realized the breadth of the damage wrought by Hurricane Helene — and that the Biden-Harris administration had already announced the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) did not have sufficient funding to last through the remainder of hurricane season.

WATCH:

Must watch TV as the Press Briefing leads to KJP storming out

Peter Doocy & KJP get heated over Biden sending money to Lebanon without Congressional approval but refusing to do so for North Carolina.

Doocy: "You can't call a question you don't like misinformation." pic.twitter.com/4kgaVqW0s0

— Media Research Center (@theMRC) October 7, 2024

Doocy quoted President Joe Biden, who has often said that people’s values are reflected in their budgets, and argued that Americans might make certain assumptions about the Biden-Harris administration’s values based on where the money was going.

“President Biden is fond of saying, ‘Show me your budget, and I will tell you what you value.’ If he’s got money for people in Lebanon right now without Congress having to come back, what does it say about his values [if] there’s not enough money right now for people in North Carolina who need it?” Doocy asked.

“His values?” Jean-Pierre asked.

“That’s not misinformation,” Doocy said.

“No, it is,” Jean-Pierre objected. “Your whole premise of the question is misinformation, Sir!”

“Excuse me?” Doocy asked.

“What you don’t — yes, yes, it’s misinformation! I just mentioned $200 million to folks who are impacted in the area. And I just shared with you that people are deciding not to —” Jean-Pierre attempted to pivot, suggesting that the real problem was Republicans who suggested FEMA was not doing enough to help, which caused people who might need help to not ask for it.

Doocy recalled Biden’s letter to Congress, which asked for more funding to be allocated to FEMA as the agency was running short.

“The president’s letter is not misinformation. Would you agree?” Doocy pressed.

“No, the way you’re asking me the question is misinformation. There is money that we are allocating to the impacted areas. And there’s money there to help people who truly need it. There are survivors who need the funding, who need the funding, and it’s there,” Jean-Pierre insisted.

“You can’t call a question that you don’t like ‘misinformation,'” Doocy pushed back.

“I actually said we have the money available to help survivors of Hurricane Helene and also Hurricane Milton. Now, there’s going to be a shortfall, right? Because we don’t know how bad Hurricane Milton is going to be. And so, we’re going to need additional funding,” she said again.

“That’s exactly what I just asked about, and you said it was misinformation,” Doocy protested.

“What you’re asking me is why Congress needs to come back and do their job. That’s what you’re asking me. Congress needs to come back and do their job and provide extra assistance, extra funding to disaster relief fund,” Jean-Pierre said, packing up her binder. “That’s what Congress needs to do, and we’re gonna continue to urge that. You may not want that, but that’s ok. That’s what this president wants, and that’s what the vice president wants.”

With that, she walked out of the briefing, taking no more questions.