Jean-Pierre Hits Back At Reporter Over Transgender Protections: ‘Every Student Deserves The Right To Feel Safe In School’

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre hit back at EWTN White House correspondent Owen Jensen over his characterization of Title IX protections that have just gone into effect .

At Wednesday’s White House press briefing , Jean-Pierre pushed back on Jensen — who has attacked trans protections in the past — when he claimed protections in the new rule “hurt women and girls” and used language offensive to trans people:

OWEN JENSEN: Karine, thank you.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

OWEN JENSEN: The new Title IX went into effect last week — last Thursday. As you know, it’s faced lots of lawsuits. Many governors say they’re not going to even follow it. So, there’s that angle of it.

But critics say the new Title IX hurts women and girls. For starters, they say it will destroy women’s sports by allowing biological men to compete directly against women in sports. Does the president share that concern?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, let me just say — so, there’s still ongoing litigation, so I would have to refer you to DOJ.

But more broadly, every student deserves the right to feel safe. Every student deserve the right to feel safe in schools. That’s what the rule is all about: strengthening and restoring vital protections that the previous administration took away.

And ending violence against women and girls has been a priority — a priority not just for this president as president but, certainly, during Se- — during his Senate years, throughout his career. And that is something that he is very, very — has been always very focused on.

This is an important step in an ongoing work to end campus sexual assault. That’s what we want to see. And I cannot speak any further to the litigation. I’m not going to get ahead of — of any of that. So, I’m just going to leave it there.

OWEN JENSEN: But how do you address the concerns that the new regulations, the new Title IX rewrite will allow men — biological men into women’s locker rooms?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, I want to be, again, really careful here. It’s an ongoing litigation. I’m not going to say beyo- — anything beyond that.

OWEN JENSEN: Does the president have any concerns about this? Is he going to pull it?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I’m not going to s- — I’m —

OWEN JENSEN: Is he going to pull the —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I’m not going to —

OWEN JENSEN: — Title IX?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I’m — it’s an ongoing litigation through DOJ. I’m just not going to say beyond that.

Watch above via The White House .