The Forbes intro calls this “a tense exchange,” but it wasn’t an exchange at all in the literal meaning of the word. Peter Doocy tried to pin down Karine Jean-Pierre on Joe Biden’s position on abortion, but all Jean-Pierre would give in response was the talking points about Lindsey Graham’s bill.

“I’m not going to get into specifics here,” Jean-Pierre declared at one point in yesterday’s press briefing, prompting Doocy to ask, “Why not get into specifics?” That indeed is the question:

Here’s the full transcript from the White House:

Q Thanks, Karine. Following up on your topper, does President Biden favor any limits on abortion?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We’ve been very, very clear here. Since you’re talking about my topper, I was talking specifically about Senator Lindsey Graham.

Q And your position on his plan is clear: 15 weeks is unacceptable.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: And I was — I was speaking to — directly to what Republicans are trying to do.

Q So Republicans —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: They are calling — they are calling for a national ban, which takes us backwards.

Q A limit at 15 weeks, right?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Which will — which will — it’s a national ban which will take us backwards and will put at risk the health of women. And here’s the thing about this, Peter, it’s not just national ban on abortion. We’re talking about privacy. We’re talking about contraception. We’re talking about marriage. That is what extreme Republican officials are trying to do. That’s what we’re speaking to. I’m not going to get into specifics here. I’m just going to lay out what — what they have said that they’re going to
do.

Q Why not get into specifics? The Republicans are saying, “We don’t want abortion after 15 weeks.” Why can’t you say how many weeks the President thinks the limit should be?

At that point, Jean-Pierre attempted a clumsy change of topic, but Doocy refused to drop it. And after that didn’t work, Jean-Pierre refused to continue the “exchange”:

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So — so, as you know — as you know, Kevin McCarthy put out the GO- — GOP agenda.

Q I am not asking about Kevin McCarthy. I’m asking about Joe Biden and his —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I am answering — I am answering — Peter —

Q — position on abortion. How many weeks?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Peter, I’m answering your question. What Republicans are trying to do is take us backwards. They’re trying to take away the rights and freedoms of Americans. That’s what we’re calling out and that’s what we’re going to continue to call out. House Republicans oppose a pharmacy bill that would deny women essential medications. As of September, 166 House Republicans have signed on to a heartbeat bill that would decide abortion at the federal lev- — level, even though 28 of those members have since said decisions on abortion should be left to the state. And this week, a Michigan GOP official said he wa- — he — he wants to ban contraception. So we should really listen to what Republicans are trying to tell us. And that’s what we are speaking out against. And that’s what we’re going to talk about — about the national ban that Republicans are continuing — continuing to push when majority of Americans do not want that.

Q We are all covering the Republican —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay.

Q — plan. I’m just —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead. Go ahead.

Q Why can’t you say how many weeks —

Q Thanks, Karine.

Q — for Biden?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay. Go ahead. Go ahead.

Q But — no.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No. Go ahead.

Q Karine, why can’t you say?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I answered. I answered your question.

Q You did not answer my question —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead. Go ahead, Courtney.

Why not go into specifics? After all, this isn’t a campaign stop in Schenectady; it’s the White House. Joe Biden governs now (nominally, at least), and his policy stands should be known in specifics. This kind of spin would be lame for a candidate on the campaign trail, but it should be unacceptable for a sitting president and his team on a policy matter that they are currently pushing themselves. KJP’s talking points on Graham’s bill was clearly intended as a planned campaign to paint Republicans as extremists. In fact, Jean-Pierre’s opening remarks began on abortion and Graham’s bill.

Since they’re putting abortion on the table, Doocy’s question about Biden’s specific policy requires a specific answer: at what point would Biden not object to a restriction on abortion? Fifteen weeks, which is roughly what the original Roe holding suggested? Twenty-three weeks, roughly considered viability at the present? Twenty-eight weeks, which is what the original Casey decision would have allowed? How many weeks?

Biden and Jean-Pierre won’t answer that question or get into specifics because their answer is “no restrictions at all under any circumstances,” which is a radical position not just in the US but worldwide as well. If Biden’s answer is anything other than that, then Biden would risk losing his hardline-activist pro-abortion base. That’s why Jean-Pierre won’t risk an honest exchange with Doocy on his question … and likely why none of the rest of the “reporters” in the room followed up to get an answer to it.