Jean-Pierre Flips Through Binder for 20 Seconds, Can't Find Anything on Baby Formula

Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre had “nothing new” to add on the ongoing baby formula shortage at Monday’s White House press briefing, despite a 20-second pause while she searched her binder for an answer on the topic.

“So, I have two questions on baby formula,” one reporter began. “So first, what is the White House — what is the latest update the White House has received on the current infant formula situation across the country?”

“Yeah, let me see if I have anything new for you on that,” Jean-Pierre replied as she began thumbing through the binder on the lectern in front of her.

WATCH:

Karine Jean-Pierre has NO UPDATE on the baby formula shortage, despite recognizing that “it’s been a couple of days since we’ve been asked that question.” pic.twitter.com/US0LOWDZAl

— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) June 13, 2022

“I think it’s been a couple of days since we have asked — been asked that question,” Jean-Pierre continued to flip through the pages of her binder as she spoke.

She paused then to read one of the pages, and after a few more seconds had passed, she said, “Okay, I don’t have anything new, I know we made some announcements last week, I just don’t have them in front of me.”

All told, some 20 seconds elapsed between the time the question was asked and the time that Jean-Pierre arrived at her conclusion: “I don’t have anything new.”

Karine Jean-Pierre is asked if there are any updates on the baby formula shortage.

She spends almost 20 seconds flipping through her binder before saying she has no update on it. pic.twitter.com/5a9gLetxdM

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) June 13, 2022

Critics immediately took aim at both Jean-Pierre and the Biden administration, arguing that neither seemed prepared to handle the situation at hand.

“‘Nothing new’ sums up this Administration’s endless string of crises,” former Senator Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) responded via Twitter.

Media commentator Mitch Roschelle added, “Attention Young People: Being Unprepared isn’t a good look. Preparation = Success.”

“This needs ‘Jeopardy’ Theme music,” National Review’s Dan McLaughlin tweeted.

“I’m starting to think she wasn’t hired because she’s qualified,” radio host Dr. Sebastian Gorka added.

Beverly Hallberg tweeted, “It’s truly astonishing that she doesn’t have an answer ready to go, from memory, on the baby formula shortage.”

“While the White House flips through notes, American moms and dads have been asking themselves how they are going to find formula to feed their babies each and every day. My FORMULA Act would help ease the baby formula crisis. We should pass it immediately,” Senator Mike Lee suggested.

https://t.co/N5yEE52zwl pic.twitter.com/pMwZm5SQe9

— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) June 13, 2022

“Your constant reminder that Joe Biden’s press secretaries are a bigger insult to the press than anything Donald Trump ever said to them,” John Hayward concluded.