White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre declined to directly comment on Rep. Pramila Jayapal’s recent statements regarding Hamas’ use of sexual violence as a weapon of war. During an appearance on “The View,” co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin raised concerns about Jayapal’s call for “balance” in acknowledging both sides of the conflict. Griffin asked Jean-Pierre if the congresswoman should clarify her remarks.
Jean-Pierre chose not to address Jayapal’s comments directly and stated, “I’m going to let the representative speak for herself. I just can’t speak for her. I speak for the President of the United States. I am the White House press secretary obviously, so that’s who I speak for.”
When pressed on the issue of rape as a reprehensible weapon of war, Jean-Pierre emphasized the administration’s condemnation of Hamas’ actions and the president’s clarity on the matter. She reiterated the administration’s commitment to denouncing such acts unequivocally.
Jayapal’s comments, where she initially claimed to have spoken out against Hamas’ rape of Israeli women but later shifted the focus to Palestinian casualties, drew criticism from several House Democrats. Griffin asked Jean-Pierre again if she believed Jayapal should clarify her response due to her role as a progressive leader.
“I speak for the president, she has to speak for herself,” Jean-Pierre maintained.
During a White House press briefing on Monday, Jean-Pierre reiterated her position, stating, “I can only speak for the president — that’s who I can speak for. We’ve been clear that what Hamas did is absolutely reprehensible, full stop. We’re going to continue to be clear about that.”
Several House Democrats, including Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Debbie Dingell, and Ritchie Torres, condemned Jayapal’s remarks, emphasizing the need to unequivocally denounce sexual violence and rejecting any attempt to “both sides” such actions.
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