“I’m not just not going to get ahead of it,” Jean-Pierre said. “And there’s a 2024 campaign. Anything related to that, I would refer you to that.”

The press briefing came hours after Biden launched his 2024 reelection campaign, and was the first of many where the White House will have to navigate how it answers questions about a president and incumbent presidential candidate.

Jean-Pierre has been known to repeatedly refer reporters to the Hatch Act when answering questions, noting that it bars her from commenting. The 1939 federal law prohibits executive branch employees from engaging in political activities while on the job, though there have been complaints that the press secretary applies the restrictions too broadly in her refusal to answer questions on certain topics.

On Tuesday, Jean-Pierre also cited the Hatch Act in response to several other questions, including one from a reporter who wanted to know the name of Biden’s reelection campaign contact. At another point, she demurred when asked whether Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Biden’s resulting efforts to rally Western allies factored into his decision to seek the White House again next year.

She was also asked during Tuesday’s briefing about when she learned that Biden was announcing his reelection campaign. Jean-Pierre said she found out at 6 a.m. “like all of you,” though reporters at most news outlets published articles right at that hour — which indicates outlets knew about the plans ahead of time and had agreed to an embargo.

Christopher Cadelago contributed to this report.