Biden National Security spokesman John Kirby scrupulously avoided calling the “high altitude object” shot down Friday a “balloon” — except when he didn’t. Hilarity ensued.

At Friday’s White House briefing, Kirby joined White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre to go over the breaking news that the U.S. shot down another “high altitude object” like the spy balloon that took over the news last week.

This “object” was also a hit at the briefing, during which no fewer than 35 references to “balloon” were made in the space of around 45 minutes. Even Kirby got tripped up, repeatedly referring to this week’s object as a “balloon” or to last week’s object as “the other balloon” and drawing laughs when a reporter pointed it out:

Q And it was shot down within the last hour. When did — you said — when did the first — when did the U.S. first get intelligence that it existed?

MR. KIRBY: The knowledge about the balloon and the track first came to our attention last evening.

Q Okay. What time thereabouts?

MR. KIRBY: I don’t have an exact time on the clock for you. It was last evening.

Q All right. Well, it’s — have you ruled out — I mean — or not “ruled out.” But you have not determined that it was surveillance in nature, correct? You’ve not —

MR. KIRBY: We haven’t ruled anything in or out. We — and that’s why we’re calling this thing an “object.” And —

Q But you just — Kirby, you just called it a balloon. You misspoke there in the — your answer?

MR. KIRBY: I’m sorry. It’s not a — yes, I’m sorry. You guys have —

Q But you can’t say it’s a “balloon” even?

MR. KIRBY: You guys have me with balloon on the brain right now. (Laughter.)

This was —

Q On all of our brains.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah, seriously. (Laughs.)

MR. KIRBY: This was an object. Let me just clarify: I’m not classifying it as a balloon right now. It’s an object. We’re still trying to learn more from it.

That it landed on — on wat- — on water that is frozen, could help us assist — make it easier for us to try to recover some of the debris. U.S. Northern Command is examining what the possibilities for that are.

Kirby drew another laugh when he called back to “the other balloon” later in the briefing:

Q Thank you. You mentioned that there were fighter aircraft who were able to determine that it likely was not manned. Were those fighter aircraft able to determine anything else about it from up close that they wouldn’t be able to find out otherwise?

MR. KIRBY: They worked really hard to try to get as much information as they could about this object. Given its size, which was much smaller, and the capabilities on the fighter aircraft themselves — the speed at which they were flying — it was difficult for the pilots to glean a whole lot of information — not like we were able to glean off the other — the balloon. Not the “other” balloon — the balloon. Thank you, Michael. (Laughter.)

Watch above via C-SPAN.

The post WATCH: Hilarity Ensues When Biden Spox Can’t Stop Saying ‘Balloon’ At Briefing About ‘Object’ Shot Down Friday first appeared on Mediaite.

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