White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Wednesday avoided a question on Democratic Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s re-election loss and appeared to blame Republicans in Congress for the surge in crime rates across the country.
During the daily White House press briefing, Jean-Pierre said she was “going to withhold commenting” on the race after being asked by a reporter about concerns over crime rates leading to Lightfoot’s loss.
Jean-Pierre went on to accuse Republicans of taking steps she suggested contributed to rising crime.