Axios is reporting today that there’s a tense relationship between John Kirby and Karine Jean-Pierre when it comes to the White House podium.
Apparently Kirby wants to be the White House Press Secretary but KJP has no plans to give it up. Since October they’ve been sharing the podium a lot but she still picks the reporters that Kirby is allowed to answer and he doesn’t like that.
Here’s more on all this from Axios:
They share a podium — and a mutual frustration. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and the National Security Council’s John Kirby frequently split the podium at media briefings, but behind the scenes their relationship is fraught with tension, White House sources tell Axios.
As President Biden heads into a tough re-election campaign, his top-ranking spokespeople are at odds while navigating a situation in which there’s one press secretary in name but two in practice — one for domestic policy, the other for foreign policy.
Some of the tension stems from how much time each gets at the podium each day.
Kirby — a Biden favorite who has become the public face of the administration’s response to the Israel-Hamas war — has told people he’d like to be White House press secretary one day.
Jean-Pierre has told people she plans to stay in the job through the election and beyond if Biden wants her — and that he has asked her not to leave.
A White House official told Axios that Kirby never volunteers that he would like to be press secretary.
Jean-Pierre and Kirby have split the podium in the White House pressroom more frequently since the Israel-Hamas war began in October — aggravating tensions that began in the spring of 2022, when Jen Psaki departed as press secretary, current and former Biden officials said.
They both keep appearing at the podium together for one reason: Biden likes it.
Kirby has become more influential publicly and behind the scenes as he has developed a close relationship with the president.
Biden frequently asks for Kirby to personally brief him. Senior adviser Anita Dunn recently had Kirby start traveling on Air Force One for domestic trips, not just international ones.
In the more than 30 press briefings and gaggles since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, Jean-Pierre has briefed reporters solo just once — during a gaggle on Air Force One.
Kirby has accompanied her at every other briefing she has conducted except for three, when she was joined by National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. (Sullivan joined once because Kirby was ill, according to two people familiar with the matter.)
Jean-Pierre still runs the press briefings and selects which reporters ask Kirby questions, rather than letting him choose.
That’s standard procedure for most briefing room guests. But Kirby is there often, and has expressed frustration that it applies to him. Some White House aides see the practice as a sign of Jean-Pierre being insecure.
The aides note that Sullivan calls on reporters himself when he attends the briefing — a practice that began during Psaki’s tenure.
You can read more about the battle for the White House podium here.