Psaki vents about Biden admin’s ‘devastating’ week: ‘Have a margarita’
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White House press secretary Jen Psaki turned to venting Friday as she expressed her frustration over the Biden administration’s “devastating” week following the failure of multiple Democratic policy initiatives to pass the Senate.
During an appearance on ABC’s “The View,” Psaki lamented the Senate voting down proposed federal voting legislation, as well as a move to scrap the Senate filibuster, and encouraged angry supporters to “go to a kickboxing class” and “have a margarita” over the weekend before continuing the fight.
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“The path forward is we have to keep fighting,” Psaki told guest co-host Linsey Davis, who asked where she saw things going on the voting bill following Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., and Sen. Joe Manchin’s, D-W.Va., decision to vote with all Republicans in opposing changes to the filibuster.
“I think this week has been frustrating, devastating, angering, all of those things,” she added. “There are so many activists across this country who have been so central to getting to this point. I mean just a year ago, there were more people who were opposed to filibuster changes in the Senate, so we’ve made some progress on that front, but we’ve got to stay at it.”
NARAL PULLS SUPPORT FROM SINEMA OVER FAILURE TO BACK FILIBUSTER CHANGE ON VOTING BILL
“So my advice to everyone out there who’s frustrated, sad, angry, pissed off: Feel those emotions, go to a kickboxing class, have a margarita, do whatever you need to do this weekend, and then wake up on Monday morning. We’ve got to keep fighting,” she said.
Psaki argued that the topic of federal voting legislation needed to be continuously pushed on senators because such changes would be permanent “to make sure people’s rights are protected.”
She added that people across the country needed to educate themselves on what their rights were when it came to voting.
“There’s a lot we need to do on that front, and that’s going to rely on the energy and the anger of that activism as well,” she said.
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Psaki committed to Democratic talking points that have cited various voting laws enacted by a number of Republican-led state legislatures as amounting to voter suppression; however, Republicans maintain they ensure election integrity.
The Democrat-backed voting legislation failed to pass the Senate Wednesday with a vote of 49-51. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer changed his vote to “no” in order to offer a motion to reconsider the vote. The subsequent vote to change the filibuster procedure failed by a vote of 52-48 to maintain the current rules.
Psaki makes Fox News appearance to clean up after Biden presser disaster
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White House press secretary Jen Psaki made a rare appearance on Fox News Thursday morning to attempt to clean up after President Biden one day after his first solo press conference of 2022.
The president caused widespread outrage at Wednesday’s news conference by suggesting that a “minor incursion” into Ukraine by Russian forces would receive a less robust response.
Biden also stated Wednesday that this year’s midterm elections “easily could be illegitimate” if the Senate did not pass a sweeping election reform measure that died hours later when Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) voted to uphold the 60-vote legislative filibuster.
“I’m not going to say it’s going to be legit,” the president said. “It’s — the increase and the prospect of being illegitimate is in direct proportion to us not being able to get these — these reforms passed.”
On Fox News Thursday, Psaki claimed that Biden “absolutely is not predicting that the 2022 elections would be illegitimate.”
“The point he was raising was both that in 2020, even amongst challenging circumstances, efforts to suppress the vote and the midst of a pandemic, there was record turnout, [among] Democrats and Republicans record turnout to go to the polls,” Psaki told “America’s Newsroom” hosts Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino.
President Biden caused outrage during his press conference on January 19, 2022, by saying that the 2022 midterms might not be legitimate. AP Photo/Susan Walsh
“And the point he was making is that the former president [Donald Trump] asked a number of states, seven or more, in fact, to overturn the outcome of the election. Now obviously, if there’s an effort to do that, we’ve got to fight against that. That’s what our commitment is to doing, but he was not making a prediction.”
Turning to tensions in Eastern Europe, Psaki insisted that “any movement of military troops across the border into Ukraine” would be met with “severe economic consequences” for Russia.
One day earlier, Biden had suggested that the severity of the Western response to an invasion by Moscow “depends on what it does.”
“It’s one thing if it’s a minor incursion, and then we end up having a fight about what to do and what not do, etc.,” Biden said. “But if they actually do what they’re capable of doing with the force they’ve massed on the border, it is going to be a disaster for Russia.”
White House press secretary Jen Psaki claimed that President Biden “absolutely is not predicting that the 2022 elections would be illegitimate.” Fox News
Later in the news conference, Biden boasted: “I’ve already shipped over $600 million worth of sophisticated equipment, defensive equipment to the Ukrainians. The cost of going into Ukraine in terms of the physical loss of life for the Russians — and they’ll, they’ll be able to prevail over time, but it’s going to be heavy. It’s going to be real. It’s going to be consequential.”
Thursday morning, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky fired back at Biden in a tweet saying, “We want to remind the great powers that there are no minor incursions and small nations. Just as there are no minor casualties and little grief from the loss of loved ones. I say this as the President of a great power.”
“Our national security team has been in touch,” Psaki said when asked if the Kiev government had been in touch with the White House. “[Secretary of State] Tony Blinken is in Europe right now. Also, I would note the foreign minister conveyed just this morning that he is confident in the support of the United States, and he should be, because we are supportive, and we have their backs.”
The press secretary was also asked about Biden’s insistence to The Post Wednesday that he had pressed Chinese President Xi Jinping about the origins of COVID-19 during a virtual summit between the two leaders in November. The topic was not mentioned on a White House readout of the meeting, leading Biden to claim that his press team didn’t know about the exchange because they weren’t in the room at the time.
The January 19, 2022, presser was only the second time that President Biden has appeared solo in a news conference. AP Photo/Susan Walsh
“The president never holds back and he’s always firm in his conversations,” claimed Psaki. “I can promise you that, including with President Xi, who he’s known for a long time and he’s had a lot of deep — direct conversations with.”
During Thursday’s interview, Psaki was also pressed on the ongoing border crisis, which was not brought up during the president’s Q&A with reporters.
“In 2021, we believe there were 2 million encounters in the southern border. Just blowing away all kinds of records,” co-host Bill Hemmer stated, pointing to a recent Fox News report that calculated the total number of encounters last year. “There does not seem to be much of a suggestion that the policy is going to change. Should we expect two million more encounters in the year 2022?”
“What the president’s view is, is that we need to do more – we need to fix our broken immigration system,” Psaki responded. “That means smarter security at the border. It also means a more moral approach to how we’re treating people when they come across the border.”
The press secretary also insisted that the US has not “done enough to address root causes” in migrants’ home countries.
Psaki said President Biden is “always firm in his conversations” when asked about his dealings with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Fox News
Psaki was also asked about rising violent crime rates in the US, which polls indicate are a growing concern for Americans, and responded that Biden has “encouraged” local and state officials to take on crime in their own communities and expects to see a significant increase in funding for local policing.
When pressed on overly lenient prosecutors in New York City and elsewhere, the press secretary made clear that Biden was “not going to wade into the actions of prosecutors or of the legal Justice Department. That’s his bottom line.
“But he’s also been very clear,” she added. “He’s been a longtime supporter of COPS programs, of the police, of local first responders, of local law enforcement and he has been an advocate for additional funding. As you know, it was a big issue of defunding the police – that was absolutely never anything he proposed or supported including even in the face of real criticism from within.”
Thursday’s interview came one day after UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson lifted most of Britain’s coronavirus-related restrictions and mandates. When asked if the administration has an “off-ramp” plan for similar measures, Psaki declined to say.
“I can’t make a prediction of that because we listen to the scientists,” she said after touting how 75 percent of the country is fully vaccinated. “Obviously we’ve seen it [COVID-19] spike in some parts of the world. We’re seeing it spike – we’ve seen spikes and come down a little bit in some parts of the United States, but we’ll be watching it very closely.”
Jake Tapper Grills Jen Psaki Harder Than Fox News Did
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CNN anchor Jake Tapper on Thursday repeatedly confronted White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki over President Joe Biden’s voting-rights comments during the day prior’s White House briefing.
The relentless grilling Psaki received on the airwaves of CNN—a network she once worked for as an on-air contributor—was in stark contrast to the surprisingly friendly and congenial conversation she had just hours earlier on conservative cable giant Fox News.
Tapper, who was highly critical of the president’s remarks following Biden’s marathon presser on Wednesday, kicked off Thursday afternoon’s interview by questioning Psaki’s recent clean-up attempt.
“This morning you said President Biden ‘was not casting doubt’ on the potential legitimacy of the 2022 election if the election reform bills are not passed—and of course, they failed to pass,” the CNN anchor noted before airing Biden’s comments.
“I am not saying it is going to be legit,” Tapper added, quoting the president. “I mean, he’s not saying that it’s going to be legitimate. That is pretty clear.”
The Biden flack said the president’s “intention” wasn’t to predict that the 2022 midterm elections wouldn’t be legitimate. Instead, according to Psaki, Biden was “trying to convey” the efforts by former President Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the 2020 election.
“We need to be clear-eyed about that possibility or the effort to try to do that and educate voters, make sure they know what their rights are,” she continued. “That is what our focus will go on moving forward.”
Tapper, however, wasn’t satisfied with Psaki’s canned response.
“He was directly tying the legitimacy of the November elections with the election reform bills that failed last night. He was asked a clear question and said it depends,” he retorted before playing another clip of Biden’s press conference remarks.
“I mean, isn’t the correct answer [to] ‘if this isn’t passed do you believe the upcoming election will be fairly conducted and legitimate,’ isn’t the correct answer, ‘Yes, it will be fairly conducted and legitimate?’” Tapper then pressed the White House spokesperson.
“That is his view, Jake,” Psaki replied.
After appealing to Tapper’s “extensive reporting” on the Jan. 6 insurrection and Trump’s election lies, Psaki again said Biden was “trying to convey” that “voters need to be clear-eyed and need to be aware and educated about what is facing them.” She also said the president was communicating the need for voter education and the need for continued voter protections.
Tapper, still, wasn’t buying the press secretary’s explanation.
“So, I get there are efforts on the state level—this is also what the president was trying to tie it to—efforts on the state level to make it more difficult to vote. Some of that is no doubt borne from the ‘Big Lie.’ Some is nefarious. Some is election officials saying we’re not in the middle of the pandemic, as we were in November 2020,” the veteran journalist declared.
“My bigger question is, if we’re saying that there is no election that’s legitimate if there are efforts to suppress the vote, then when has there ever been a legitimate election in this country?” Tapper asked. “Trying to suppress American votes has been going on since the founding of this country.”
Psaki once more claimed “that’s not what we’re saying,” insisting that Americans “should be confident in the protections we are going to continue to enforce.” At the same time, she said it was “not long ago” when Trump tried to reverse Biden’s election victory.
“That is different than the effort to suppress the vote. We need to fight against both,” she noted.
“But he didn’t say the elections are going to be legitimate and I’m going to be there making sure they are legitimate and we’re going to fight and you need to turn out to vote,” Tapper shot back. “He basically refused to say that, definitively, they’ll be legitimate.”
He further pointed out that Vice-President Kamala Harris also wouldn’t say future election results will be legit in a Thursday morning interview. Instead, Harris pivoted to criticism of the Senate’s failure to pass voting rights legislation.
“So I hear what you’re saying, but you do not seem to be on the same page as the president and vice president,” he flatly stated.
After moving on to the criticism Biden has received for indicating America would be fine with a “minor incursion” by Russia—another issue Psaki has spent Thursday trying to clean up—Tapper wrapped up the grilling by offering an olive branch.
“White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, earning her paycheck this week,” he concluded. “Thank you so much.”
Jen Psaki defends non-release of Biden’s Delaware visitor logs
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White House press secretary Jen Psaki defended the non-release of visitor logs from President Biden’s Delaware homes Tuesday — despite the fact that the commander-in-chief was in his home state for more than a quarter of all days during his first year in office.
The Post asked Psaki at her regular press briefing if the White House’s decision not to make the Delaware logs public still stands after Biden spent long stretches of time at his Wilmington and Rehoboth Beach residences.
“Will the White House be reconsidering the decision not to release visitor log information from his Delaware residences?” The Post asked.
Psaki defended the trips before denying the reporter a third question about a different topic.
“Well, the president goes to Delaware because it’s his home. It’s also where his son and his former wife are buried. And it’s a place that is obviously close to his heart,” she said.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki defended the non-release of the visitors logs for President Biden’s Delaware homes. EPA/MICHAEL REYNOLDS / POOL
Psaki said Biden visits Delaware often because it is where his former wife and son are buried. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
“A lot of presidents go visit their home when they are president. We also have gone a step further than the prior administration, and many administrations, in releasing visitor logs of people who visit the White House and will continue to do that.”
Biden spent all or part of 101 days of his first year in office in Delaware. Psaki told The Post in August that there would be no visitor logs released from Biden’s residences in the First State.
Despite vowing to lead the most transparent administration yet, Biden is taking heat from the press for giving fewer interviews and press conferences than his predecessors. He will give just his second solo White House press conference on Wednesday, the final day of his first year in office.
Biden with his first wife, Neilia Biden, and his children Beau, Hunter and Naomi. Delaware Public Archives
Biden with his son Beau, who passed away in 2015. POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Tom Fitton, president of conservative legal group Judicial Watch — which has for years battled for White House visitor log transparency — says the White House should release the Delaware visitor logs as soon as possible.
“Generally speaking, the American people have a right to know what the president is up to. This president specifically changed policy to presumably disclose who’s been visiting the White House,” Fitton said. “The decision to keep secret who is visiting Delaware makes a mockery of that transparency. It turns it into a joke.”
Fitton says he’s concerned about who may be seeking to influence public policy while paying Biden or his family a visit.
“[Joe Biden] is the one who had [son] Hunter at the vice president’s office meeting with his business partners,” he noted.
The links between the elder Biden and his son’s business ventures often are murky.
It’s unclear, for example, if they have discussed his new art career, in which Hunter hopes to earn as much as $500,000 from anonymous buyers of his novice works. Hunter received at least $375,000 last year for five prints at a Hollywood art show attended by one of his father’s ambassador nominees, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.
Hunter Biden’s attorney Chris Clark announced less than a week after President Biden’s November summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping that the first son had divested a 10 percent stake in an investment fund controlled by Chinese state-owned entities. Hunter Biden and the White House provided no further details.
That firm, BHR Partners, was registered 12 days after Hunter joined Vice President Biden aboard Air Force Two for a 2013 trip to Beijing.
President Donald Trump’s defense team at his 2020 impeachment trial cited Obama-era visitor logs that indicated VP Biden met with his son’s business partner Devon Archer around the time Hunter Biden joined the board of Ukrainian energy company Burisma, where he earned a reported $1 million per year.
Trump attorney Pam Bondi argued that Trump should not have been impeached for pressuring Ukraine to investigate the Bidens because the elder Biden may have had his own hand in the deal.
Photos and emails from a laptop that formerly belonged to Hunter Biden indicate that Joe Biden in 2015 hosted his son and a group of Mexican business associates at the vice president’s official residence. In 2016, Hunter Biden apparently emailed one of those associates while aboard Air Force Two for an official visit to Mexico, complaining that he hadn’t received reciprocal business favors.
“I have brought every single person you have ever asked me to bring to the F’ing White House and the Vice President’s house and the inauguration,” he griped.
Psaki told The Post in August that there will be no visitor logs released for Biden’s Delaware residence. AFP via Getty Images
Additional documents and photos indicate that Joe Biden attended a 2015 DC dinner with a group of his son’s associates — including a trio of Kazakhs and the Russian billionaire Yelena Baturina and her husband, ex-Moscow mayor Yury Luzhkov. A Senate report released in 2020 said a firm linked to Hunter Biden received $3.5 million from Baturina in 2014.
A photo depicts Joe Biden posing with the Kazakhstani group at the dinner. One day after the gathering, Burisma executive Vadym Pozharskyi emailed the then-second son to thank him for the opportunity to meet his father.
The Biden White House initially applauded itself last year for resuming the partial release of visitor logs, saying in May, “These logs give the public a look into the visitors entering and exiting the White House campus for appointments, tours, and official business — making good on President Biden’s commitment to restore integrity, transparency, and trust in government.”
Concha rips Jen Psaki for criticism of Youngkin’s school mask order: ‘He was elected, she was selected’
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Fox News contributor Joe Concha slammed White House press secretary Jen Psaki for her criticism targeting Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s executive order revoking the mask mandate in schools. Concha joined “Fox & Friends First” to discuss Psaki’s remarks, highlighting her own hypocrisy regarding mask-wearing in the press briefing room.
JEN PSAKI TAKES SHOT AT YOUNGKIN OVER ORDER ALLOWING VIRGINIA PARENTS TO OPT OUT OF MASK MANDATES
JOE CONCHA: See, Glenn Youngkin was elected, Jen Psaki wasn’t elected. She was selected as White House press secretary, and now she’s out there on Twitter, attacking Republican governors, on their first day mind you. Elections have consequences and Glenn Youngkin won despite Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and every Democratic heavy hitter coming to campaign for him. And can you believe it? Glenn Youngkin is actually enacting his campaign promises on day one. You got to love the White House press secretary here. By the way, when it comes to masks, the White House briefing room, you see reporters. We watch this every day. They’re all vaccinated. They’re masked up every day, but Jen Psaki, for whatever reason, is exempt from this rule during those press briefings, and look, everybody socially distanced in that room now and for whatever reason, she is above that law in that room with all the other reporters that are in there, most are not speaking most of the time are masked up. I wonder why that is, why it’s rules for Jen and not for everybody else.
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