WATCH: White House holds news briefing as Trump faces arraignment in New York

While the country’s attention was trained on the Manhattan courthouse where Donald Trump was being arraigned, the White House did its best Tuesday to suggest that it wasn’t paying much attention.

Watch the briefing in the player above.

Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that “our focus right now is on the American people,” and was noncommittal when asked whether President Joe Biden was following the news.

“He will catch part of the news when he has a moment to catch up on the news of the day,” she said. “But this is not a focus for him today.”

Jean-Pierre was similarly circumspect when asked about the potential for unrest over the prosecution of the former president, especially since Trump has called for protests.

“We are prepared,” she said.

LIVE UPDATES: Trump’s New York arraignment

Fox News’ Peter Doocy tried unsuccessfully to get Jean-Pierre to open up more.

“Why don’t you have more to say about the Trump indictment?” he asked. “For better or worse, all that anybody in the country is talking about, at this exact moment while we’re in here, is Trump. And they look here to find out what the White House thinks about it.”

“I think the American people should feel reassured that when there is an ongoing case like this one, that we’re just not commenting,” Jean-Pierre said.

But reporters didn’t give up.

“I love how you guys are asking me this in different ways,” Jean-Pierre joked. “You guys are clever.”