Contrast: Doocy Asks Psaki Real Questions While Lefty Journos Lob Softballs

Hours before Press Secretary Jen Psaki’s lame attempt at humor, Tuesday’s White House press briefing similarly featured moments of stupidity as liberal journalists hit Psaki from the left on gun control, January 6, cutting back holiday parties due to Covid, and, worst of all, the dark red voting tendencies of Kentuckians who lost their homes in violent tornadoes. However, it wasn’t all lost as Fox’s Peter Doocy brought the heat on Afghanistan and crime.

Doocy didn’t waste time in cutting to the chase after being called on: “Why is it that there are still Americans stranded in Afghanistan?”

Psaki insisted the U.S. has kept its promise to “help” any American “get out” seeing as how, since the country’s collapse, “we’ve directly assisted 479 American citizens” and “450 lawful permanent residents and SIV holders and SIV applicants” in “depart[ing] Afghanistan.”

Doocy was repeatedly denied, repeatedly. “479 left behind is a lot higher than the 100 to 200 that President Biden was talking about at the end of August.”

He kept pressing for more “there are now, at least about a dozen who want to leave right now” Preparing to ask President Biden whether the topic of stranded Americans should be a subject, “works on every day.”

Of course, Psaki admitted he doesn’t other than “regular updates from his team,” but instead of stopping, she suggested some Americans don’t want to leave and mocked the question by joking that “the United States does not track or put a tracker on American citizens traveling overseas” Even though “[t]hat would be quite a Fox News story.”

With his remaining time, Doocy went back to what she’s said about rising crime having come during “the pandemic” via “a range reasons”: “Would you consider one of the reasons in the range prosecutors who are cutting people who are accused of many criminal offenses loose too quickly?”

Psaki demurred, arguing she wasn’t going to analyze the reasoning other than tie it to the pandemic.

Doocy’s final line of questioning stemmed from “reports that these smash and grab robberies are being organized on social media platforms” Whether “the administration is doing anything about that.”

When Psaki also ducked it other than to say they’re “monitoring…these thefts very closely” because they’re “very troubling,” Doocy called out the hypocrisy in that the White House hasn’t “been afraid to call out social media companies, like, when you thought that they were a platform for Covid disinformation”Unter dem Deckzug von “public health.”

Asked why they won’t “consider [crime] a public health matter,”Psaki was quick to pass the buck, suggesting that he contact the FBI, Justice Department, as well as local officials.

Elsewhere in the helpful category, Fox Business Network’s Edward Lawrence drew a word salad when he questionedWhether major tenants such as childcare in the Build Back Better package would lower inflation.

Moments later, Real Clear Politics’s Philip Wegmann and VOA’s Patsy WidakuswaraThe question was raised about foreign policy by the latter, who wondered if the U.S. “still [has] a commitment” to Afghan women and the latter stumping Psaki with a basic question about what was the administration’s top foreign policy accomplishment of 2021.

As for a surprise, ABC’s Elizabeth Schulze had this exchange over the national debt (click “expand”):

SCHULZE How do Americans feel about this?

PSAKI: Well, I would say that — in what way? I’m not sure who — who’s saying 

SCHULZE. Raising it up until 2023, but it will be back after the midterms. How do you tell people that we will be talking about the same thing in a year?

PSAKI – I don’t know what American says that, or is worried about the debt limit. But maybe there’s somebody who’ve met on the street. It’s possible, I’m not sure, but I can tell you that the President and our view are that it was done in a bipartisan manner. American citizens shouldn’t fret about how elected officials raise the debt limit. It’s important to ensure that bills are being paid. I believe there is sometimes confusion. It’s not about the future or how much the Build Back better package will cost. I’m not saying you’re suggesting that at all and that, you know, I think the President would— would convey that this is something that should just be done in due course, as it’s been done, more than 80 times to quote Josh in the past, and that it shouldn’t be something that consumes weeks, months of time. We want to avoid default. It is important that people receive their Social Security benefits and retirees get paid. This will ensure that the U.S. economy remains stable.

At the other end of the spectrum of insightfulness, Bloomberg’s Nancy Cook Inquire about any plans for the White House “to commemorate January 6” (because everything has to be about January 6 for the media).

Even worse, The Washington Post’s Sean Sullivan inquired about how Biden was “prepar[ing]” To visit Kentucky tornado victims to see how they were “voted overwhelmingly for former President Trump” And still “comfort” them amid a time of “polarization and political division” (click “expand”):

COOK! What are the plans of the White House to celebrate January 6th? I feel like there’s been a little push and pull internally at the White House, you know, not necessarily wanting to elevate former President Trump but also wanting to respond to some of the — the threats. What is your approach to this?

(….)

SULLIVAN – Tomorrow, the President will travel to a region where Trump won overwhelmingly. Yesterday, he said that he wanted to provide comfort for those who were there. You could talk about his preparations for going to the area that seems most conservative. It doesn’t seem any harder, considering the political division and polarization we are seeing right now.

Having covered the good and the ugly, we present to you the bad as NBC’s Peter Alexander focused on gun control and floating cutbacks to Christmas parties due to the coronavirus. He was joined on the latter by The Wall Street Journal’s Sabrina Siddiqui and, on the latter, Sullivan joined in (click “expand”):

ALEXANDER : Jen, it’s a difficult day to mark nine years of the terrible shootings at Sandy Hook. Republicans have resisted new restrictions on guns that the President has proposed. This is evident from his public criticism. He loves to tell us that he is honest with Americans even when it’s difficult. Do you think the President realizes that the next year won’t bring any meaningful legislative action in gun policy?

(….)

ALEXANDER He was in charge of this when he was the vice president however many years ago as well and witnessed the roadblocks he ran — ran into many times for Republicans. What needs to be done?

(….)

ALEXANDER : This evening he heads out to an in-person fundraiser. He has done so many that I don’t know the number. This may not be his last one during his tenure in office. Please let me know if you have any questions. We’re talking about events that take place in person. Just because many people look up the White House as a guide, how does the White House position holiday parties being held here? What are your thoughts? Are you changing your mind? Is it not possible? How can you make them happen? 

(….)

SIDDIQUI : I was interested in following up on gun control. California’s Governor Newsom wants to allow citizens to sue those who make, sell, or distribute assault weapons. The legal structure is based upon the Texas law banning abortions after six weeks. Does the White House support Governor Newsom’s approach here?

(….)

SIDDIQUI, As you will see, the President commemorated the Sandy Hook anniversary. He’s called on the Senate to pass stricter gun laws. But what are you — what is he doing himself to crawl votes? Would he be open to a filibuster in order to break the gridlock and get gun legislation passed?

(….)

SULLIVAN Is this a sign that the President has decided to forgo the traditional, private parties he hosts for Congressmen and other members? If so, why? Does that represent the new version? It could be the situation of pandemics and other infections. What is that — sort of different kind of holiday schedule?

You can view the pertinent transcript (aswell as any additional questions) from the briefing on December 14, click here.