KJP: The Economy Is Doing Good Because Biden ‘Has Put Equity at the Center of Everything’

MATTINGLY: “The economy.”
Jean-Pierre: “Yeah.”
MATTINGLY: “I’ve asked you probably six million questions about the economy when I sat in the briefing room.”
Jean-Pierre: “Yes. By the way, I miss you in the briefing room.”
MATTINGLY: “I miss being in the briefing room. The — New York’s nice, too. This is a nice place.”
Jean-Pierre: “Yeah, I’m from New York, so I love New York, yeah.”
MATTINGLY: “This is your hometown.”
Jean-Pierre: “Yeah, this is my hometown.”
MATTINGLY: “The consumer sentiment numbers —”“
Jean-Pierre: “Yeah.”
MATTINGLY: “— have been on a trendline upwards.”
Jean-Pierre: “It’s been amazing, yeah.”
MATTINGLY: “The latest one I think surprised just about everybody.”
Jean-Pierre: “Yeah.”
MATTINGLY: “My question for you as he goes into this big moment —”
Jean-Pierre: “Yeah.”
MATTINGLY: “— and Wisconsin, in the speech, the UAW endorsement. For months, you guys have been frustrated that there’s not been a correlation with public sentiment from the topline numbers —”
Jean-Pierre: “Yeah.”
MATTINGLY: “— that all defied expectations. Do you feel like the corner is being turned right now? That people are getting it?”
Jean-Pierre: “Yeah.”
MATTINGLY: “That it’s landing, in that not only will this not be a drag heading into a campaign season; this is actually going to be a benefit —”
Jean-Pierre: “Yeah.”
MATTINGLY: “— for the president.”
Jean-Pierre: “Well, I’m going to be careful about the campaign season, but what I can speak to is you just said it — consumer sentiments. People are feeling what the economy is doing. And we have to remember this didn’t happen by accident. What we’re seeing with the trends — the economic trends, it’s because of what this president has done. He has put — he has put equity at the center of everything that he’s talked about when it comes to the economy. 14 million jobs created. Last year, 2.7 million jobs created. Unemployment under four percent. Wages are up. That matters. He’s going to talk about that today in Wisconsin, which he’s excited to go to. He’s going to talk specifically about a bridge called the Blatnik Bridge, right?”
MATTINGLY: “Yeah.”
Jean-Pierre: “That bridge — if we had not invested in that bridge — the $1 billion that’s going to go to that bridge because of the bipartisan infrastructure legislation — it would have shut down by 2030. Now, jobs are going to be created. It is an artery connecting Wisconsin to Minnesota — to Minnesota. It is so critical and important. Obviously, the president is going to talk more about this later today.”
MATTINGLY: “You had the big Brent Spence Bridge —”
Jean-Pierre: “Yeah.”
MATTINGLY: “— in Kentucky event as well —”
Jean-Pierre: “Exactly.”
MATTINGLY: “— with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.”
Jean-Pierre: “Exactly.”
MATTINGLY: “I know you’ve got to go but one last one. You’ve been doing this for 20 months. It’s a grind of a job in any administration —”
Jean-Pierre: “Yeah, yeah.”
MATTINGLY: “— regardless of party.”
Jean-Pierre: “You’re keeping track. Are you keeping track?”
MATTINGLY: “Are still around for —”
Jean-Pierre: “You’re tracking 21 —”
MATTINGLY: “I used to cover the White House, Karrine. I was there on your first day officially on the job.”
Jean-Pierre: “I am going to stick — I am going to —”
MATTINGLY: “Are you sticking around for eternity?”
Jean-Pierre: “I am — no. Well, as long as the president wants me in the job I will be here. I’m not going anywhere. I love my job. I love my job. I get to get to know folks like you. I get to speak on behalf of the president of the United States. And it is important — it is important what we’re trying to do — trying to bring back the economy. Trying to do things that’s going to affect generations to come that invest in America that you hear the president talk about. There is no other place that I would want to be right now than speaking for President Biden.”
MATTINGLY: “I appreciate you coming up here and speaking with us. Karrine Jean-Pierre, thank you —”
Jean-Pierre: “Me, too.”
MATTINGLY: “— very much.”
Jean-Pierre: “Thank you so much.”