On Wednesday’s episode of Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace on the failed streaming service CNN+, the eponymous host interviewed White House press secretary Jen Psaki. Instead of being a softball interview as you might expect, Wallace actually challenged Psaki on a number of topics.
The first interesting moment came when Wallace challenged her on the Democrat Party’s support of teaching young children about sexual identity and orientation. “I understand that some of the supporters of the bill have used inflammatory language saying that opponents of the bill want to sexualize children or groom children” Wallace prefaced by saying.
“On the other hand, don't parents have a right to have concerns? I mean we’re talking specifically here about teaching about sex in Kindergarten through third grade. I have to say as a parent, I would have problems with that.” Psaki in response appeared to suggest that it would be fine with her if children in Kindergarten learned about sexual identity or orientation:
PSAKI: But the law is not about teaching sex education. It’s about teaching about, gender identity. And so what do you do if a parent or a kid, should I say a kid in one of these elementary schools says “what about Sally? Sally has two moms!” Or “I’m not sure if I’m a girl or a boy.” I mean these are kids who are experiencing these moments in their lives. I also think that these are not, there's not a big record of there being either sex education or extensive gender identity education in these schools, and this is creating a problem or a political cudgel about an issue that I don’t think exists.
The next moment came immediately after when Wallace asked her “why has President Biden been so sheltered from the press?” Psaki immediately took offense to that and shot back “In what way? He just did a press conference several weeks ago. And he takes questions from the press nearly every day!”
Wallace laid out the facts revealing how few press conferences Joe Biden has had compared to his two immediate predecessors (Donald Trump & Barack Obama):
In his first year, Joe Biden held two solo news conferences in the White House. And he held five on foreign trips, and take a look at this, in his first year Mr. Biden sat down for twenty-eight interviews with reporters. That compares to ninety-five in the same period of time for Donald Trump, and a hundred and sixty-two for Barack Obama. By comparison, Jen that’s sheltered.
Psaki tried to defend Biden by claiming the moments when he takes questions from reporters as he’s walking out of the White House to get on the helicopter should count towards that overall total.
Wallace understandably disagreed claiming that “when you’re standing there, you can take a question you can answer it, you can sluff it off and you move on” adding that “oftentimes he [Biden] gives a partial answer and walks away.” Whereas when you are participating in a sitdown interview with a reporter “you can’t duck it. You gotta sit there and answer the question and the follow-up.”
After getting schooled, Psaki meekly replied “we can agree to disagree on that Chris.” Adding the excuse “I think how he has felt engaging with the press makes sense to him or works, is how he used to do it in the Senate.”
She can disagree all she wants but that doesn’t change the fact that the leftist media didn’t think it was good enough to answer reporter's questions on the South Lawn of the White House when Trump was President.
The media lost their minds and wailed that Trump didn’t hold enough press conferences. You can’t have it both ways, Jen!
To read the relevant transcript click “expand”:
CNN+’s Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace
4/20/2022
6:09:30 p.m. EasternCHRIS WALLACE: This week you got quite emotional during a podcast when you were asked about the new law in Florida which bans LGBTQ education through third grade. Let’s take a look at that.
[cuts to audio]
JEN PSAKI: I’m gonna get emotional about this issue, because it’s just, it’s horrible, but uh but you know, it’s like kids who are bullied, and there’s like all these leaders are taking steps to hurt them and hurt their lives and hurt their families, and you look at some of these laws in these states, and it is going after parents who are in loving relationships who have kids. It’s completely outrageous, sorry, I… this, this is an issue that makes me completely crazy.
[cuts back to live]
WALLACE: Why so emotional?
PSAKI: You know, I will say that many of us who’ve served as long as I have in public service something that I have loved and continue to love you know we’re passionate about issues we’re passionate about what we think is right. And I personally think that these laws in states like Florida are morally wrong. And that they are targeting kids and they’re targeting families and we know statistically that transgender kids are bullied. We know that they have a tough time already fitting into their schools and their classrooms and I think it’s something that hit me in my heart as a parent and a mom and somebody who wants all kids to be equally and be given kind of a loving chance by society. But yes I had a reaction because I’m a human being like we all are. And I think this an issue that I found to be pretty outrageous
WALLACE: I just want to drill down a little bit here though Jen. Because look I understand that it's an emotionally fraught issue, I understand that some of the supporters of the bill have used inflammatory language saying that opponents of the bill want to sexualize children or groom children. On the other hand, don't parents have a right to have concerns? I mean we’re talking specifically here about teaching about sex in Kindergarten through third grade. I have to say as a parent, I would have problems with that.
PSAKI: But the law is not about teaching sex education. It’s about teaching about, gender identity. And so what do you do if a parent or a kid, should I say a kid in one of these elementary schools says “what about Sally? Sally has two moms!” Or “I’m not sure if I’m a girl or a boy.” I mean these are kids who are experiencing these moments in their lives. I also think that these are not, there's not a big record of there being either sex education or extensive gender identity education in these schools, and this is creating a problem or a political cudgel about an issue that I don’t think exists.
WALLACE: Let me switch subjects on you. Why has President Biden been so sheltered from the press?
PSAKI: In what way? He just did a press conference several weeks ago. And he takes questions from the press nearly every day!
WALLACE: Okay, I’m going to come back at you on that. In his first year, Joe Biden held two solo news conferences in the White House. And he held five on foreign trips, and take a look at this, in his first year Mr. Biden sat down for twenty-eight interviews with reporters. That compares to ninety-five in the same period of time for Donald Trump, and a hundred and sixty-two for Barack Obama. By comparison, Jen that’s sheltered.
PSAKI: Well, the statistic you didn’t include there Chris, is how many times did he take questions from reporters at the White House. I think it was about double the number—
[crosstalk]
WALLACE: He’s had two solo news conferences.
PSAKI: No no beyond that! I mean nearly every day at the White House he takes questions from the White House press corps.
WALLACE: Yeah but Jen!
PSAKI: Two questions, three questions, eight questions.
WALLACE: Yeah but Jen!
PSAKI: Why is that different? He’s done that two or three times more than his predecessors.
WALLACE: I’ll tell you exactly why that’s different. Because when you’re standing there, you can take a question you can answer it, you can sluff it off and you move on. It in no way compares, and oftentimes he gives a partial answer and walks away. It in no way compares to sitting down with a reporter for twenty minutes, thirty minutes, and having a– you can’t move away. You can’t duck it. You gotta sit there and answer the question and the follow-up. It’s not the same thing.
PSAKI: We can agree to disagree on that Chris. I think how he has felt engaging with the press makes sense to him or works, is how he used to do it in the Senate. Which was to talk to reporters after he did events. Take their questions, often times he takes multiple questions. Sometimes there are follow-ups. He’s done that two or three times more than his predecessors and I think for most of the White House reporters that gives them an opportunity to ask questions often a couple times a week.
