White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre under fire in midst of Biden document drama

It has not been a good week for White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

Beginning with revelations regarding President Joe Biden's handling, and housing, of classified documents — which soon resulted in the appointment of a special counsel to investigate — the communications arm of the White House has either been in conflict with the truth, late to share key details, or stonewalling in an attempt at damage control. 

Political pundits, lawmakers, legal experts and media outlets alike have weighed in with posts, headlines and questions taking aim at Jean-Pierre. 

"It is increasingly painful to watch Karine Jean-Pierre," legal commentator Jonathan Turley  tweeted Friday, "as she argues that they have been 'transparent' by being transparently unwilling to answer any questions...

"Nothing prevents the White House from answering basic questions about the scandal. It will not undermine the Justice Department for the White House to confirm the President's position and recollection. The silence protects the President not the investigation..."

"The White House has already stated that the documents were inadvertently removed but refuses to answer questions on the basis or meaning of that defense...

"I can understand the desire of a criminal defense attorney for Biden to remain silent. However, the refusal to answer basic questions is not to protect the 'independence of the Justice Department' or the investigation. It meant to protect the President as an individual."

Fox News highlighted the fact that Jean-Pierre had said on Thursday that the most recent discovery of more classified documents would be the last. This turned out not to be true, as an additional discovery was later announced by the White House, this time at Biden's home in Delaware. On Sunday, the White House said the president's personal residence does not have a visitors' log, which would have recorded who had access to the highly sensitive materials.  

In an interview with Fox News' Maria Bartiromo on Sunday, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan hit the Biden administration for being dishonest about how much they've shared with the public. 

"They can say they're being transparent about that, but it's anything but," the Ohio Republican said. 

Jordan is also set to lead a House Judiciary subcommittee investigation of the "weaponization" of the Department of Justice, which he claimed has created a "double standard" based on political ideology. 

"2020, they suppress the Hunter Biden story," he told Fox. "2022, they raid [Trump's] home 91 days before an election, but they don't tell us about Joe Biden's classified document issue that they knew about prior to the [midterm] election."

Some Democrats have stepped up to acknowledge that the revelation of classified papers in Biden's home and office after the president wielded the same issue as a political weapon against former President Trump has created the appearance of an embarrassing double standard.

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