After the first White House press briefing of 2022 was delayed a day because of the snowy weather in the Washington, D.C. area (totally not an omen), Tuesday’s edition of the Jen Psaki Show saw the White House Press Secretary fielding questions from the liberal press that urged President Biden to do more to pass “voting rights” legislation and bizarre suggestions that they had never condemned former President Trump.
Concerning the question of voting rights, and the concerns that will arise from the later in the year midterms. Time magazine’s Brian Bennett peppered Psaki questions as he was determined to see the Democratic initiatives passed into law. Psaki seemed to want more Democratic votes.
“Ten months remain before the midterm elections. Are you concerned about the closing of the window to approve legislation that might have an effect on the way people vote in midterm elections?,” he queried.
Psaki was aware that the best way to get legislation passed the Senate was getting rid of filibuster. This was because Democratic Senators Joe Manchin in West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema in Arizona had voted against it. But she did her best to dance around it while Bennett pestered her (Click “expand”):
PSAKI – I don’t intend to predict that.
(…)
But he absolutely feels that getting voting rights done is fundamental, it’s essential. He’s going to work in close lockstep with Leader Schumer and others in Congress to get this done. However, I am not making any predictions at this stage regarding the timeline. It’s obviously a first priority for them in the Senate.
BENNETT: Do you consider this a priority of the President’s?
PSAKI: Yes, he’s working with Leader Schumer on it.
But much to Psaki’s chagrin, Bennett wasn’t taking the hint as he continued to push from the left. “In December, he said – at South Carolina State University – ‘We’re going to keep up the fight until we get it done.’ What does that look like? How does President Biden fight for his voting rights?,” he wanted to know.
The Press Secretary’s frustration was very apparent as she had this strained back-and-forth with Bennett:
PSAKI = It is getting the law passed and then signing it.
BENNETT, What actions will he take over the coming weeks in order to accomplish that goal?
PSAKI: Well, first, I would say that the President has – you can expect to hear more from him soon and I’m not going to get too far ahead of that. However, the President has already taken several steps under his own authority regarding voting rights.
Shortly before this interaction, Sebastian Smith with the AFP went after Psaki with a bizarre accusation that President Biden had never denounced or condemned President as “Democracies are under threat.”
“But could you talk a little bit about why he refrains – to the extent that he does – from condemning ex-President Trump personally,” he demanded to know. “Do you think President Biden believes that his predecessor behaves normally? Is he a danger to democracy? That is exactly what some would think.”
Smith answered Smith’s question even though Psaki was unable to do so.
SMITH – Does ex-President Trump pose a threat or danger to democracy?
PSAKI: He has probably spoken to it in the past.
If this premier press briefing of 2022 was any indicator for what’s to come, this year was going to be particularly partisan for the media.
The transcripts are below, click “expand” to read:
CBSN White House Press briefing
January 4, 2022
Eastern, 3:32 p.m.(…)
SEBASTIAN SMITH (AFP): So, the President, he’s making remarks on Thursday, you said. He has repeatedly denounced January 6th. But could you talk a little bit about why he refrains – to the extent that he does – from condemning ex-President Trump personally? Not just for January 6th, but his ongoing campaign which is very persistent almost daily or at least weekly to discredit the Americans’ faith in the election process.
Is President Biden assuming that the predecessor acts normally? Do you think that he poses a threat? That is exactly what some would think.
PRESS SECRETARY JEN PSAKI: You know, I have to say, I don’t think we’ve held back on this front. It is well-documented that President Trump was involved in subverting the constitution and trying to stop peaceful power transitions. He also defended a mob who attacked Capitol Hill and police enforcement.
It is something that the President talked about as a time when democracy was at its worst. And he’ll speak to – as I noted a little bit earlier – he’s speak to the historical significance of January 6, what it means for the country one year later, the importance of the peaceful transfer of power, which obviously the prior administration and the prior President were not a part of.
But I think there’s a larger message here to the country about who we are and who we need to be moving forward.
SMITH
PSAKI (President of the Islamic Society): He has probably spoken about this before.
SMITH: Okay. SMITH: Okay. According to polls, around 70% of Trump voters believe that the election was fraudulent and that President Biden is unlegitimate.
Is there anything that President Biden feels he should of already done or anything he feels he can still do to actually talk directly to those people and try to get peoples’ reality to match a little bit more in this country?
PSAKI: I think what he’s going to continue to do is speak to everyone in the country, those who didn’t vote for him, those who may not believe he is the legitimate president, about what he can do to make their lives better. As the President of United States, he views that responsibility. That’s what he will continue to do.
(…)
Fox White House Press briefing
January 4, 2022
Eastern Time: 3:50 p.m.(…)
BRIAN BENNETT (Time magazine): On voting rights. It is 10 months before midterm elections. Do you think the President is concerned that it’s too late to pass legislation that will affect the way people vote in the midterm election?
PSAKI – I don’t intend to predict that.
(…)
But he absolutely feels that getting voting rights done is fundamental, it’s essential. He’s going to work in close lockstep with Leader Schumer and others in Congress to get this done. However, I am not making any predictions at this stage regarding the timeline. It’s obviously a first priority for them in the Senate.
BENNETT, Is that a top priority for the President.
PSAKI: Yes, he’s working with Leader Schumer on it.
BENNETT: In December, he said – at South Carolina State University – “We’re going to keep up the fight until we get it done.” What does that look like? What is the battle for voting rights in President Biden’s favor?
PSAKI = It is getting the law passed and then signing it.
BENNETT, What actions will he take over the coming weeks in order to accomplish that goal?
PSAKI: Well, first, I would say that the President has – you can expect to hear more from him soon and I’m not going to get too far ahead of that. However, the President has already taken several steps under his own authority regarding voting rights.
(…)
About Post Author
