Capping off another week of repeated non-answers and outright lies, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki was caught in another liberal double standard. Thanks to Real Clear Politics's Philip Wegmann, Psaki made clear the administration was opposed to the MLB All Star Game being in Atlanta, Georgia due to the state's voting law (which the MLB has since said it will comply) but will refuse to offer support for a boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China due to the country's putrid human rights record.
Wegmann was one of the final reporters called on (as the briefing ended in part due to the shooting at the Capitol) and he used the chance to ask a simple question about China now that the left has made attacking Georgia a top objective:
And then, you know, the President has voiced his support for MLB making a decision on about the All-Star game in Georgia, I wondering when can we expect a final determination from the President about the United States participating in the Beijing Olympics given that he said the Chinese president doesn't have a democratic bone in his body.
Psaki incredulously refused to offer an administrative condemnation of China and instead argued that it would be a decision for the U.S. Olympic Committee to “play a big role in.”
Wegmann pointed out that, while the decision about the All Star Game would be made by MLB, that didn't stop Biden from having “weighed in on Major League Baseball here in the United States.”
Amidst the crosstalk, Psaki had the gall to falsely claim that Biden “actually didn't” comment on what the sport should do and mentioned she had already said as much during an exchange from earlier in the briefing with CBS's Nancy Cordes.
As she usually does when pressed, Psaki upped the snark and suggested Wegmann was distracted during Cordes's questioning: “So, and I — give a little more context, but maybe you weren't paying attention to that part.”
Instead of letting Wegmann provide said “context,” Psaki moved on to another reporter.
Since we're all about transcripts at NewsBusters, below was Cordes's exchange and take note of Psaki offering another blatant lie about the law making it harder to vote and that it makes giving out water to voters in line “a criminal act.” Of course, Cordes allowed Psaki to lie and refused to fact-check her (click “expand”):
CORDES: On the issue of voting rights, the President said that he would support major league baseball moving the All-Star game out of Atlanta. Now a similar bill has passed the state Senate in Texas. So, does the president believe that Texas should move out of the state or boycott the state if the bill is signed into law?
PSAKI: Well, first, he wasn’t — he didn't call businesses to boycott. Businesses have made that decision themselves, of course. He was not dictating that Major League Baseball move their game out of Georgia. He was conveying that, if that was a decision, that was made that he would certainly support that, and that’s true in the context of the remarks he made in that interview.
CORDES: What did — what does the President feel the responsibility of businesses is in this debate?
PSAKI: Their — in terms of activism?
CORDES: In terms of — yeah. When it comes to voting rights bills in the states where they reside and what — where they call home, what does the President believe the responsibility is of businesses when it comes to this issue of voting rights?
PSAKI: Well, the President has made his view clear that he believes that he has major concerns about the bill passed in Georgia. He’s consistently said it should be easier and not harder to vote. And he believes that making it a criminal act to deliver water to people waiting in line is not making it easier. We’re also not calling from here for specific action from businesses.
Elsewhere on this episode of the Psaki show, multiple reporters sought to further the narrative of fear on the coronavirus by lamenting that Americans aren't listening to Biden's health officials and refraining from gathering with people outside those they live with.
And on the border, NBC's Kelly O'Donnell twice pressed for answers about whether the administration will do anything different to stem the tide of border crossings after the unrelenting surge of “unaccompanied minors crossing in March.”
Other than looking to expand the number of shelters, Psaki unsurprisingly said nothing would be changing.
To see the transcript of those (as well as Psaki's full exchange with Wegmann), click "expand."
White House Press Briefing
April 2, 2021
12:53 p.m. EasternDARLENE SUPERVILLE: I wanted to ask you a COVID question. And just a little while ago, we heard the President appeal again to people who take the coronavirus seriously, saying that, you know, too many people are acting as if this fight is over and it is not. Sop, I am wondering why does the president, you, or the white house, or the COVID team, why do you think this message is not breaking through for some people? Why do we need to keep saying it again and again and again?
JEN PSAKI: Well, we have always anticipated that there would be ups and downs and that’s why the President, Vice President, and all of us reiterate that we are at war with the virus, that we need to be vigilant, and that’s a message you’ve heard from him and members of our health team for the past several months. Even when people were feeling more and more confident out in the American public. We don’t view the observation of public health guidelines as a political step. We view it as a step that helps save lives. Some people view it otherwise. But what our focus is on is on ensuring that we are expediting the — getting vaccinations out of pharmacies, doubling the number of pharmacies that have them — more than doubling. Expediting, increasing the amount of vaccines going out to states, which we saw a dramatic increase in that, and we’re also working with local mayors, business owners, and at the individual level to continue to reiterate what has long been been our message.
SUPERVILLE: Is that message that it’s too early to celebrate? I mean, how much — how — how often or how much of that is part of the public education messaging? There’s some PSA’s that the administration is doing. How much of that message is part of that campaign?
PSAKI: The big focus of the public campaign is that we can do this and that it’s important to take the vaccine. And obviously, partnering that public messaging with our efforts to expedite and getting more vaccines out, increasing the number of vaccination sites, the number of vaccinators, we’re doing that in partnership and also working and investing, I should say, in a significant amount of public education efforts in local partners, which we’ve seen to be the most effective efforts. So, that’s one of the reasons why the majority of our funding for that pubic campaign is going.
(....)
12:59 p.m. Eastern
KELLY O’DONNELL: On the southern border of the United States, customs and border protection had new preliminary numbers about unaccompanied minors crossing in March and they are way up. 18,500 — again, a preliminary number, but a big jump suggesting that it’s more than seasonal, suggesting it’s more than just the just the conditions on the ground. Is there a sense now that the administration needs to do something different in terms of the message of this is not the time to come, but children who are unaccompanied will be protected and cared for and be able to stay. Is there any movement on that as the message?
PSAKI: That continues to be our measures and we continue to look for ways to project it more broadly and more effectively in the region, but that is a sliver of what our efforts are. And we don't feel that simply telling people with more PSA’s not to come that that will be the only way to reduce the number of people who are taking the journey. So, in addition to that, we, of course, have conversations started last week that will be ongoing and will continue with our envoy and our officials who will be working with governments and officials in the northern triangle to talk about addressing conditions and talk about reducing the temptation to travel. Some of that, of course, will be aid and assistance and a discussion of that. The president’s proposed $4 billion in his own plan, but some of it will be, of course, continuing to communicate directly with the region. And also we will continue to reiterate that our policy remains in place in terms of implementing Title 42 authority and that the vast majority of adults are turned away. These numbers are certainly — you know, — we — we are not naive about the challenge but we are focused on solutions to help address the unaccompanied minors who are coming across the border and making it less of an incentive to come, including — also continuing to implement in the Central American Minors program so kids can apply and people under 18 can apply within country.
O’DONNELL: Does the President see the Vice President's role in stewardship of this issue dealing with more with diplomacy and dealing with some of the the operational issues along the border with the bureau and Border Patrol and HHS?
PSAKI: That’s a role that, of course, the Department of Homeland Security is playing. Ale Mayorkas, the secretary, who has a great deal of experience dealing with challenges at the border and implementing it. Now, we also have the secretary of health and human services who is in place who can work in partnerships and they have oversight, as you know, over a number of shelters and that’s a key part of the partnership. But the vice president's role is really focused on the northern triangle.
MARYALICE PARKS: Follow up there, if it’s such a pressing issue, I know you’ve been asked this in the room before, but it’s such a pressing issue: why hasn't the administration named a CBP commissioner or an ICE director yet?
PSAKI: Those are certainly important roles and ones that we are eager to fill. I don’t have an update on the personnel there, but we also have a number of experienced numbers, including the secretary of Homeland Security who had served deputy secretary in the past and others throughout the agencies who are implementing our work on a daily basis.
PARKS: And just last week, you were asked if there was a consideration for an immigrant in particular to be in either of those spots. You said you’d talk to the President about that. Have you had that conversation with him? What does he think if that’s important
PSAKI: I don’t have anything more about what characteristics will go into the personnel other than some of who is qualified and prepared to government as quickly as possible. But we don't have a shortage of talented, personnel addressing these issues. That’s not the biggest challenge we are focusing on. The biggest challenge is expediting processing, ensuring we have more shelters available. We have made some progress in those areas but there’s still certainly more work to be done.
PARKS: And can I ask you just quickly on just the Georgia law? I had a conversation with the lawyer for Representative Cannon, who was arrested there outside Governor Kemp’s office and he said over and over, he thought the Justice Department needed to get involved in what was going on in Georgia. The president last week said the justice department was looking into its options, that he was looking into options. Can you update us on whether there’s — if there’s anything to update us on? Is the Justice Department looking to get involved.
PSAKI: There just wouldn't be from here. It is an independent Justice Department, so I certainly would refer to them on any plans they have..
PARKS: And any response from the White House to get involved? I mean, any update on what the White House, in any way, will respond to the Georgia law?
PSAKI: Well, in that —
PARKS: Well, is the President going to act —
PSAKI: — beyond — beyond the Department of Justice?
PARKS: I mean, so is that it will only come from the Justice Department?
PSAKI: I’m sorry. I don't really understand your question.
PARKS: I guess he’s — the President said he was looking into his options.
PSAKI: Yep.
PARKS: Are there any other options beyond what we would see from the Justice Department?
PSAKI: Well, I think there’s one category, right, of legal action. We’d leave that in the Department of Justice's hands. They’re an independent agency, right, in that sense? They’ll make independent decisions, I should say. The President, I think, was referring broadly to the importance of continuing to advocate for the expansion of voter access and the expansion making it easier for people to use their — their — their civic duty to — to elect officials. So, there are people working their way through Congress. That’s a way he’ll continue to be involved. He will continue to communicate with and work with leaders like Stacey Abrams and others who are, you know, implementing grassroots activism across the country. So, there are a lot of roles the President could play. I would just put a different category on whether there is a Department of Justice, legal step because that would be up to the attorney general. Go ahead.
NANCY CORDES: Thanks, Jen. On the issue of voting rights, the President said that he would support major league baseball moving the All-Star game out of Atlanta. Now a similar bill has passed the state Senate in Texas. So, does the president believe that Texas should move out of the state or boycott the state if the bill is signed into law?
PSAKI: Well, first, he wasn’t — he didn't call businesses to boycott. Businesses have made that decision themselves, of course. He was not dictating that Major League Baseball move their game out of Georgia. He was conveying that, if that was a decision, that was made that he would certainly support that, and that’s true in the context of the remarks he made in that interview.
CORDES: What did — what does the President feel the responsibility of businesses is in this debate?
PSAKI: Their — in terms of activism?
CORDES: In terms of — yeah. When it comes to voting rights bills in the states where they reside and what — where they call home, what does the President believe the responsibility is of businesses when it comes to this issue of voting rights?
PSAKI: Well, the President has made his view clear that he believes that he has major concerns about the bill passed in Georgia. He’s consistently said it should be easier and not harder to vote. And he believes that making it a criminal act to deliver water to people waiting in line is not making it easier. We’re also not calling from here for specific action from businesses.
(....)
1:09 p.m. Eastern
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: I wanted to ask about the President's Easter plans, because he said on his phone call with faith and family community leaders that he would probably get together with family for Easter because they’ve all been vaccinated.
PSAKI: Mmhmm.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: So what kind of message is that sending if he’s asking Americans not to have small gatherings until the 4th of July but he’s saying he’ll be with family for Easter. So, can you clarify how big family —
PSAKI: Well, I don’t have a specific number of family members, but I can assure you that the president is — strives to be a role model in every aspect of how he is living in this difficult time we’re all going through. He obviously has a wife he’s been married to for some time. He has a couple grandkids who he sees when he goes to Delaware. But it’s a limited group and not the big Irish Biden clan that many of you have seen throughout the course of his time in public office.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: But all of his immediate family have been vaccinated?
PSAKI: I don't have any more updates on his immediate family.
(....)
1:11 p.m. Eastern
PHILIP WEGMANN: And then, you know, the President has voiced his support for MLB making a decision on about the All-Star game in Georgia, I wondering when can we expect a final determination from the President about the United States participating in the Beijing Olympics given that he said the Chinese president doesn't have a democratic bone in his body.
PSAKI: Well, I think the U.S. Olympic Committee would play a big role in — in —
WEGMANN: But he — he weighed in on Major League Baseball here in the United States.
PSAKI: — he actually didn’t. I think — I don’t know if you heard the ques — the answer —
WEGMANN: He didn't weigh in?
PSAKI: — the question and the answer that happened a few minutes ago where we addressed this. And I answered the question. So, and I — give a little more context, but maybe you weren't paying attention to that part.
