Aboard Air Force One
En Route Charleston, South Carolina
10:41 A.M. EST
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Hello. Hi, everybody.
Q Hi, Karine.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Hello. Okay, just one quick thing at the top, and then we'll get going here. So, today President Biden is traveling to South Carolina where he will deliver remarks at an event at Mother Emanuel AME Church.
We will continue — we will then continue on to Dallas, where the President will pay his respects to the late Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson.
And now I have the Admiral right behind me here, who's going to discuss the latest in the Middle East.
There he goes. There you go.
MR. KIRBY: Thank you, Karine. Just a quick update on trucks into Gaza. Over the last 48 hours, 210 trucks got in. That's good, but it's not good enough.
One of the things that — I know you know Secretary Blinken is in the region right now. He's in Saudi Arabia today, heading to Israel tonight. But that's going to be one of the things that he focuses on. It has already and will continue to see if we can't increase that humanitarian assistance into Gaza.
That's it.
Q Are you — is the U.S. concerned, on the Lebanon blast, that the Israeli strikes in Lebanon are going to increase risk of a — of a wider war?
MR. KIRBY: So, first, I'd let the Israelis speak to their operations one way or another. We're not going to confirm that — reports of their operations.
From the very beginning, we have talked about our strong desire not to see this conflict escalate or widen. And that includes the potential for a second front up in the north of the country.
We believe that the displaced people in Lebanon and displaced people in Israel have a right to return to their homes, and we want to see that happen as soon as possible.
Q What is the level of frustration at the NSC about Secretary Austin not informing the White House until later about his hospitalization? And will there be any consequences for that?
MR. KIRBY: I think — look, our main focus right now is on Secretary Austin's health and making sure that he gets all the care and support that he needs to — to fully recover. That's the focus.
And he has already resumed all his authorities. He's already doing all of the functions he would normally do. He's just do- — he's doing it right now from — from the hospital.
We'll — we'll — obviously, I think, as you might expect, we'll take a look at process and procedure here and try to learn from this experience. And if there's some changes that need to be made, you know, in terms of process and procedure, we'll do that.
Q There are some — there are some calls for him to be fired. Is that something that the President is wanting or considering doing?
MR. KIRBY: The President's number one focus is on his health and recovery, and he looks forward to having him back at the Pentagon as soon as possible.
The President respects the fact that Secretary Austin took ownership for the lack of transparency. He also respects the amazing job he's done as Defense Secretary and how he's handled multiple crises over the last almost three years now. And very much values his advice, candor, leadership, and, again, looks forward to having him back at the Pentagon.
Q John, does the President know what elective surgery the Secretary had, even though the American people don't know? And does he know what his current symptoms are and his current health condition is?
MR. KIRBY: I know that the President had an opportunity to talk to Secretary Austin a couple of days ago, wish him well, get — see how he was doing.
I don't know the details of that conversation, and I don't know the level of the President's personal knowledge of his medical situation. And then, that would really between — be between the two men.
Your — your question about that elective procedure is really better directed to the Pentagon, not — not to us.
I want to make sure I put a fork in my answer to you. There is no — no plans or anything other than for Secretary Austin to stay in the job and continue in the leadership that he's been exu- — that he's been demonstrating.
Q John, given — John, given the delay in disclosing this, did Secretary Austin meet the President's own standard of transparency? And is the White House committed if — if President Biden had to have some kind of medical procedure, is the White House committed to releasing that information to the public in a very timely manner?
MR. KIRBY: Well, on the second question, you're a little out of my lane. That's really — but I don't want to speak for Karine, but I think the answer is yes. I mean, the answer is absolutely yes. We'll be as transparent as possible.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah. I mean, the President has always put transparency at the center of his administration, from the beginning. And obviously, that's what we're going to continue to do.
So, we're going to continue to be transparent. Obviously, the Department of Defense will have more about the — more to speak to about their protocol. I just don't have anything to add on — specifically on that piece.
Q Do you think you were transparent here, though? I mean, it took days for this — for this — for people to be informed about this and at a time of, you know, conflict around the world.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: From what I —
MR. KIRBY: This —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay — no, go ahead —
MR. KIRBY: I'm sorry —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No, no, no, no, no. Go ahead.
MR. KIRBY: The — the Pentagon has talked about this. The Secretary put out a statement, took accountability for the lack of transparency. We'll let you — we'll let the Pentagon speak to the process there.
Q John — John, quickly. You mentioned you guys are taking a look at process. Does the President want an official review into what happened in him not — you know, communication not coming up through the White House?
MR. KIRBY: As I said to Jeff, I fully expect that we'll take a look at process and procedure here. We'll do what's akin to a hot wash and try to see if processes and procedures need to be changed at all or modified so that we can learn from this.
Q John —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead.
Q All right. Does the White House have an official view on, like, the duty of the Cabinet Secretaries and when they need to disclose this type of, you know, medical procedure or hospitalizations?
MR. KIRBY: Look, I think there's a — an expectation that when a Cabinet official becomes hospitalized that there's a — that that will be notified up the chain of command. There is that expectation.
Q Can you say, was there any contact between Jake Sullivan and the Defense Secretary in those four days — January 1st to January 4th — any contact at all?
MR. KIRBY: On the morning of the 1st of January, the Secretary, as well as Secretary Blinken, Jake, other relevant officials, did have a secure conference call with the President. This was regarding operations in the Middle East. And — and so, there was — there was contact —
Q (Inaudible.)
MR. KIRBY: — and then — on the 1st of January.
Q John, you said at the beginning of your remarks that the most important thing right now is the Secretary's health. How is his health?
MR. KIRBY: That's really for Secretary Austin and the Pentagon to speak to, Jeff. That — that would be inappropriate for me to — to get into his personal health condition.
He — he did indicate that he's recovering well in his own statement. And as — again, he expects to be back at the Pentagon in the relatively near future.
