Karine Jean-Pierre gives a string of excuses for Kamala Harris’ defeat and insists it’s not Biden’s fault

Karine Jean-Pierre struggled to explain Kamala Harris’ defeat in the 2024 election and President Joe Biden’s possible role in the results.

The White House press secretary was repeatedly asked whether Biden regretted leaving the presidential race and whether the president played a role in Harris’ defeat.

She fumbled in her answers, using “uh” repeatedly as she searched for answers.

“President Biden believes he made the right decision when he decided to step aside – uh – and – uh – immediately endorsed the vice president and you saw the party standing behind her, supporting her, and he believed that this was the was right for the American people,” she said.

‘He put himself aside. This wasn’t about him. This is about what was good for the American people, and that’s what he believes. He believes this was the right decision. He is very proud.’

Democrats are still reeling from Harris’s loss to Donald Trump.

And the blame game has begun as to who is to blame.

Harris aides blame President Biden for not doing enough to fight inflation, for his many verbal fumbles and for not dropping out of the race sooner. He is described as the 81-year-old albatross hanging around her neck.

Others blame Harris herself: she did not separate herself sufficiently from Biden during the campaign, there was infighting among her staff, she exaggerated her numbers, she didn’t do that.

Jean-Pierre dodged all questions about whether Biden is guilty or whether he regretted leaving the presidential race.

“The president understands that he will respect the will of the people. That’s what he understands. “He understands that the American people have made a decision and he will respect that,” she said.

And when asked if Biden has any regrets, she said, “The president is very proud of what he was able to accomplish. He was very proud and when he made the decision to pass the torch – to pass the torch, to pass the torch to the vice president, he believed it was the right decision at that time. Uh – he believed she was ready. She was ready to lead from day one and was very proud of what he was able to deliver.”

She repeatedly pointed out that Biden has 74 days left in office.

And she pushed back when asked if Biden was blamed for the defeat.

“There’s going to be a lot of people saying a lot of things. “There are going to be election experts looking under the hood in the coming days, weeks and months, as I’ve said, and they’re going to give their opinions on this race,” she said.

Earlier Thursday, President Biden pledged to work with Trump to achieve a peaceful transition and urged the country to come together as he broke his silence on the election.

“I will fulfill my duty as president. I will fulfill my oath and honor the Constitution. On January 20, we will have a peaceful transition of power here in America,” Biden said.

He did not discuss why Harris might have lost. He also did not respond to shouted questions from reporters about the race.

However, the 81-year-old commander in chief spoke with a smile from the Rose Garden of the White House on Thursday afternoon in his first public appearance since Trump’s landslide victory in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

The outgoing president was noticeably more relaxed than during the campaign, as he told the nation to be positive and accept the devastating results for Democrats, while noting that Harris ran an “inspirational campaign.”

Biden walked out of the Oval Office to applause from a crowd that included Cabinet members, staff and his granddaughter Finnegan and ran to the podium.

As he concluded his remarks, he blew a kiss to the audience and insisted that his government should be proud of its record.

‘I know it’s a difficult time. You’re in pain. I hear you and I see you,” Biden said.

‘A country chooses one or the other. We accept the choice the country makes.

‘You can’t love your country only when you win. You can’t love your neighbor only if you agree, Biden said.

‘A defeat does not mean that we are defeated. We have lost this battle. But we can get back up,” he added.

The president watched the results come in late Tuesday night with family and close friends at the White House, sitting in the residence as Republicans took control of the White House and Senate.

Control of the House of Representatives has yet to be determined.

Biden called both Harris and Trump on Wednesday. He is also referred to as Democrats who won the House and Senate elections.

He congratulated Harris on her historic campaign, and invited President-elect Trump to meet with him at the White House.

He expressed his commitment to ensure a smooth transition to power.

But he had his own warning for the newly elected president, telling him about “the importance of working to bring the country closer together.”

Biden will attend Trump’s inauguration. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said before the election that Biden would attend the election for whoever wins the presidency.

Now Biden’s legacy is at stake as the president sideds with Trump’s terms.

“Don’t forget everything we have accomplished,” he said Thursday. “It’s been a historic presidency.”

He argued that many of these achievements — like his infrastructure plan — won’t be felt by the public for years.

He also beat back voters’ anger over the economy.

‘We are leaving behind the strongest economy in the world. “I know people are still hurting, but things are changing quickly,” he said.

He and his team will likely spend the three months leading up to Inauguration Day trying to support as many initiatives as possible: securing more funding for Ukraine, pushing for a ceasefire in the Middle East and doing some they can to protect Ukraine. federal workers, whom Trump has promised to target.