White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and Fox News reporter Peter Doocy sparred Monday over the Biden administration's response to the damage and destruction wrought by Hurricane Helene.
"President Biden is fond of saying 'Show me your budget and I can tell you what you value.' If he's got money for people in Lebanon, what does it say about his if there is not enough money for people in North Carolina?" Doocy asked during Monday's briefing.
"Your whole premise of your question is misinformation, sir," Jean-Pierre shot back. "I just mentioned to you that we provided more than $200 million to folks who are impacted in the area," noting she was talking about the Small Business Administration disaster loan.
"That's money for people in North Carolina," Doocy insisted. "They're the ones saying it's running out."
"Peter, this is nothing new," she responded. "Congress comes together, they provide money — millions of dollars — for disaster relief."
Doocy referenced a recent letter from Biden to congressional leaders asking for them to return from recess to approve more funding for hurricane relief efforts, asking the press secretary of Biden's letter directly "that's not misinformation is it, yes or no?"
"No, the way you're asking me the question is misinformation," she responded. "There is money we are allocating to the impacted areas."
"You can't call a question you don't like misinformation," Doocy shot back.
"No, what we're asking Congress to do is come back and do their job," Jean-Pierre said, picking up a large binder from the podium and beginning to leave. "You may not want that, but that's OK. That's what this president wants, and that's what the vice president wants. Thanks everybody."
Former President Trump has made the federal government's response to Helene an issue on the campaign trail, claiming the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is “going out of their way to not help people in Republican areas” and that Vice President Harris, his opponent in next month's presidential election, “spent all her FEMA money, billions of dollars, on housing for illegal migrants.”
Doocy is known for often sparring with top White House officials and Biden directly during interactions with the White House press corps.
