The Briefing….with White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre

C-SPAN: Following widespread criticism about President Biden’s performance in the debate, Jean-Pierre affirmed that he was “absolutely not” stepping down from running for reelection. She explained that his performance was not as optimal as it could have been because he had jet lag from two recent trips to France and Italy for a D-Day anniversary and the G-7 summit, and was also recovering from a cold.

Ms. Jean-Pierre also noted that President Biden had “strong conversations” with Democratic colleagues in private about the debate, including with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY). Moreover, she announced the administration was providing “a significant, new security assistance package” for Ukraine.