Karine Jean-Pierre blocks John Kirby at White House podium

Biden press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has been blocking national security spokesperson John Kirby from joining her at the podium at White House press briefings, people familiar with the matter tell Axios.

Why it matters: It's the latest twist in the years-long tense relationship between the White House's two senior spokespeople.

• Kirby, President Biden's top spokesperson for foreign affairs, joined Jean-Pierre for most briefings after Israel was attacked on Oct. 7, 2023.
• But for the past two-plus months Kirby has been mostly absent in the briefing room, even as the fighting in the Middle East has continued to escalate.

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