LOOK OUT, PSAKI! Doocy, Vaughn Test WH on Biden Visiting the Border, Economic Malaise

After you have completed the following: Day off with a special guest by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, The Psaki Show was back with a new episode on Friday and, for the second day in a row, the Fox News Channel’s Peter Doocy and wife Hillary Vaughn of the Fox Business Network applied the heat to the Briefing Room podium.

Other reporters asked insightful questions about Biden’s poll numbers, the DHS investigation into the fake whips story, gas prices, press access, but it was Doocy who battled Psaki over vaccine mandates and President Biden not having visited the U.S. southern border while Vaughn focused on the economic pinch Americans have found themselves in ahead of the holiday season.

 

 

Most of Doocy’s time focused on immigration, but he led off with news that “[t]he leader of the union representing FedEx, UPS, and DHL is saying that supply chain problems are going to get worse with labor shortages right before the holidays unless the President postpones the requirement to get vaccinated by December 8.”

Doocy felt the need to learn: “[W]hat is more important to this President: The vaccine mandates or fixing the supply chain as fast as possible?”

Psaki deflected, arguing that’s “not actually what we’ve seen at companies that have implemented these vaccine requirements” and instead the labor market would be in worse shape if the Covid vaccine wasn’t mandated.

Doocy did have a quick follow-up, which led Psaki to a near-identical answer: “Just so that I understand…This union leader says that the looming December 8 mandate for having fully vaccinated workforces ‘creates a pretty significant supply chain problems.’ You say? No, it does not. Is that right?”

But the real battle royale began when Doocy went back to immigration and something he had asked Psaki about on September 22 and 24 and Biden was quizzed on at Thursday’s CNN town hall: “Following up on something else the President said last night, Why did President Biden say he has been to the border?”

Psaki replied that “there’s been reporting that he did drive through the border when he was on the campaign trail in 2008” and, along with that, she said Biden “has worked on these issues throughout his entire career” and thus “does not need a visit to the border to know what a mess was left by the last administration.”

As expected Doocy wasn’t going to stand for Psaki’s gaslighting and, for that, Psaki grew agitated that she had been caught spewing nonsense (click “expand”):

DOOCY: Does that count as a visit? He said, “I’ve been there before.” You’re saying he drove by for a few minutes. Does that count?

PSAKI: What do you — what is the root cause? Where are people coming from who are coming to the border, Peter? 

DOOCY: The President has said that he has been to the border.

PSAKI: I’m asking a question cause I think people should understand the context.

DOOCY: No, you’re not answering the question. 

PSAKI: Where do people — where do people —

DOOCY: I’m asking you if —

PSAKI: — okay, I’ll answer it for you. People come from Central America and Mexico to go to the border. The President has been to those countries 10 times to talk about border issues. There is a focus right now on a photo op. The president does not believe a photo op is the same as solutions. 

DOOCY: But he said, “I —”

PSAKI: That may be a difference he has with Republicans

DOOCY: — but that’s not what he said either. He said, “I guess I should go down.” So, does he think that he needs a photo op? Is that what he’s saying? 

PSAKI: He doesn’t —

DOOCY: Is that what you’re saying?”

PSAKI: — that’s a fundamental disagreement he has. The former president was likely to have been at the border at least one time, if not more. Perhaps you know the numbers. 

DOOCY: That doesn’t have anything to do with —

PSAKI, Peter: What was the result of that immigration policy? This immigration policy led to the separation of children from their parents and construction of a border wall which is feckless that will cost taxpayers billions. The President fundamentally disagrees on how —

DOOCY: — has —

PSAKI: — we need to approach —

DOOCY: — has —

PSAKI: — the immigration issue.

DOOCY: — anything changed at the border between 2008 when he drove by and 2021?

PSAKI: Aside from the fact migrants are still coming through the course of Democratic and Republican presidents and the — the immig — the need to reform immigration system is even further long overdue? We need to collaborate with Democrats and Republicans to accomplish that. I think we’re going to have to keep chugging along here.

Vaughn continued 20 minutes ahead of Jean-Pierre, and asked a similar question about Psaki’s Baghdad Bob-like insistence that inflation and the supply-chain crisis are occurring because the economy is in such good shape. 

Karine shared that Trump’s last holiday season saw families face a difficult winter, with little economic security. Families are now facing the most expensive gas in seven years. It is also costing them more money to heat their homes. There are almost five percent more groceries, and inflation has risen by 30 per cent. This makes me wonder about economic security in America this holiday season under President Biden.

Unfortunately, Vaughn didn’t get a follow-up as Psaki offered more shameless spin that “the economy is turning back on” and the economy’s in far greater shape than it was during the lockdowns of 2020.”

“There’s no question that, a year ago, when we were locked in our homes, when one only one percent of people were vaccinated, when 10 percent of people in this country were unemployed, that was an incredibly dark time and dark period in our country,” Psaki added.

Two other noteworthy moments include the New York Post‘s Steven Nelson called out the White House’s ongoing curtailing of press access for Biden events in the East Room and the Daily Caller’s Shelby Talcott inquired about the Department of Homeland Security investigation into the (fake) whips story that’s now a month late (click “expand”):

NELSON – As press corps members, we all oppose the mysterious pre-screening procedure that is being used for the East Room presidential events. So, I hope you will be able to explain how the White House selects which journalists are allowed into these events. What is the rule? How long is this prescreening going to be in effect? 

PSAKI: Well, we have — we are still in the middle of a pandemic. People are still wearing masks here, as you may have noticed. This is reflected in our staff requirements. We don’t have the same number of people that we all would like in the East Room. And we are hopeful that this will change soon. 

NELSON: But how are the decision made about — 

PSAKI: Does it not matter that there is more access to the East Room and that people have greater chances of getting in?

NELSON: That’s almost everyone here, but how are the decisions made about who gets to go in? 

PSAKI: There’s a limited number that we have based on how many — how many people are attending as guests. There is no further information. [TO KAREN TRAVERS] Go ahead, Karen. 

NELSON: My second question was about —

PSAKI – I think that we are going to continue.

(….)

TALCOTT: The DHS secretary said, I think it’s just about a month ago now, that the investigation into the horseback Border Patrol agents would be completed in days, not weeks. Is the White House receiving any updates on this investigation? Is there any evidence that these Border Patrol agents whipped migrants?

PSAKI: This is under Homeland Security Department. I can check with them —

TALCOTT: Can —

PSAKI: — and see what the status is. I have a copy of what he said, and will update you if any changes are made.

TALCOTT: — and so, is the White House in active communication with the DHS on this? Like, do we know why this hasn’t been —

PSAKI (Yes, they are, however, overseeing the investigation to such an extent, that I would point them out on any updates on the status.

For the complete transcript (including any questions) from 22 October’s briefing click here NBC’s Peter AlexanderThe gas price Gray TV’s Jon DeckerBiden’s declining poll numbers The New York TimesClick here for more information about’s Zolan Kano-Youngs in Afghanistan

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