Jarrett: Paris attendance ‘would have been great’

by Jesse Byrnes - 01/15/15 1:00 PM ET

Greg Nash
Senior Adviser Valerie Jarrett arrives for a meeting with members of the Congressional Black Caucus. February 5

Valerie Jarrett, a senior adviser to President Obama, said Thursday “it would have been great” to have strong U.S. representation at the anti-terror solidarity march in Paris over the weekend.

“Certainly, we would have liked to have participated in the parade,” Jarrett said on CNN’s “New Day.”

{mosads}Secretary of State John Kerry, who said he would give Paris “a big hug” during his trip there Thursday, suggested he would not apologize for the lack of U.S. representation at the rally.

Asked if she and Obama regretted their choices in terms of who represented the U.S. government at the event, Jarrett said on CNN, “I think we certainly got the substance right, but it would have been great to participate in the parade and we’re delighted Secretary Kerry is there now.”

The White House faced intense criticism earlier in the week after Obama and high-level administration officials failed to show up at Sunday’s unity rally in Paris, which drew at least 40 world leaders and more than a million people. The U.S. ambassador to France, Jane Hartley, was the most high-profile U.S. attendee.

Obama and Vice President Biden stayed home while Kerry was in India. Jarrett said she was “not aware” of any consideration to have Attorney General Eric Holder, who was at counter-terrorism talks in Paris, stay for the march, adding he had “pressing issues” hastening his return to the U.S.

On Monday, White House press secretary Josh Earnest admitted that the administration should have sent someone to the rally with a “higher profile” than Hartley. Earnest said it was a staff-level decision that the president did not go, noting the event was planned in just 36 hours.

“Had the circumstances been a little bit different, I think the president himself would have liked to be there,” Earnest added.

Tags Charlie Hebdo John Kerry Josh Earnest Paris Valerie Jarrett