Name: Jen Psaki Is Praised for “Not Crazy” First Press Conference
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Jen Psaki Is Praised for “Not Crazy” First Press Conference

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AdvertisementAdvertisementOn Wednesday evening, White House press secretary Jen Psaki delivered her first press briefing of the Biden era. To sum up the social media response to Psaki’s performance, it was viewed widely as delightfully (p)sane.we've had no insults yet. no meltdowns. no smears of the "fake news." — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar)AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementI’m having some difficulty here. I’m not sure which part to clip since no one is holding up paper or yelling at Acosta — Acyn Torabi (@Acyn)Jen Psaki is blowing me away.— Mary L Trump (@MaryLTrump)AdvertisementAdvertisementIt’s so crazy watching a White House press briefing that is not just a bunch of journalists being grossed out by an extended presidential ego fluffing while OAN cheers— john r stanton (@dcbigjohn)AdvertisementAdvertisementNew press briefing is harrowingly normal and not bizarre.— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm)AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThis is not not normal — Chris Suellentrop (@suellentrop)Truly blinding level of professionalism and normalcy at this briefing— Amanda Katz (@katzish)AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWatching this press conference really is the oddest thing after the last four years.— (((Harry Enten))) (@ForecasterEnten)Some noted how Psaki’s performance didn’t even include&nbsp;&nbsp;about the size of the inauguration crowds that could be easily disproven by photographs, as Sean Spicer delivered in his second day on the job four years ago.AdvertisementThe new press secretary briefs. Notably, the focus is not on the size of the president’s inauguration crowd. — Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur)AdvertisementAdvertisementYeah is definitely sober and has not lied in the first 2 minutes of her briefing. So way better than all the Rejected Racist Funko Pop Dolls that had the job under Trump.— john r stanton (@dcbigjohn)AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe press conference was mostly generic “getting to know you America” platitudes about transparency and “telling the truth” that read as frantically refreshing following four years of deranged lunacy and constant falsehoods meant to placate the world’s biggest egomaniac and liar. But there was indeed also some substance.Psaki promised a return to the&nbsp;&nbsp;of daily press briefings and regular COVID-19 briefings. She said that Anthony Fauci would be&nbsp;&nbsp;the United States at a meeting on Thursday of the World Health Organization, a group from which Trump tried to withdraw the country.AdvertisementShe maintained Biden’s position that—independent of his calls for national unity and healing—it was entirely up to Congress how to handle an impeachment trial of Donald Trump for incitement of insurrection. She also maintained that they could work on his agenda while dealing with an impeachment, but Sen. John Cornyn—a top ally of Minority Leader Mitch McConnell—immediately&nbsp;&nbsp;idea, which is something the press can ask her about at her next press conference on Thursday while expecting a rational and truthful response.AdvertisementPsaki also reiterated that the president was committed to trying to win over Republican support for his $1.9 trillion relief measure, while also saying that the matter was urgent and that he would not be removing the option of passing a quick bill through budget reconciliation.“His clear preference is to move forward with a bipartisan bill, there is no question about it. But we are also not going to take any tools off of the table for how the Senate—the House and Senate can get this urgent package done,” Psaki said.Psaki also indicated that the president would not be negotiating against himself to reduce the price tag of the relief bill to meet Republican demands. “The package wasn’t designed with the number 1.9 trillion as the starting point, it was designed with the components that were necessary to give people the relief that they needed,” she said. “So what’s challenging is: What are you going to cut? Are you going to cut funding for vaccinations? Are you going to cut funding for unemployment insurance? Are you going to cut funding for reopening schools?”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAs Psaki was making these remarks, it was&nbsp;&nbsp;that Sen. Mitt Romney—one of the moderate Republicans Biden would need to go along with any bipartisan package—thought the proposal was “not well-timed.” Opposition from the likes of Romney would seem to leave the possibility of wide bipartisan support—enough to break a filibuster in the Senate—off of the table going forward. This might force the Democratic majority to move quickly to reconciliation if it wants to pass the measure as urgently as Biden and Psaki indicate it is needed.How the Biden administration decides to move forward with that bill given that Senate dynamic is something that members of the press can ask Psaki about—and expect to receive sane, rational, truthful answers to—tomorrow.AdvertisementAdvertisement

AdvertisementAdvertisementOn Wednesday evening, White House press secretary Jen Psaki delivered her first press briefing of the Biden era. To sum up the social media response to Psaki’s performance, it was viewed widely as delightfully (p)sane.we've had no insults yet. no meltdowns. no smears of the "fake news." — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar)AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementI’m having some difficulty here. I’m not sure which part to clip since no one is holding up paper or yelling at Acosta — Acyn Torabi (@Acyn)Jen Psaki is blowing me away.— Mary L Trump...

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Jeremy Stahl

A daily magazine on the web. Listen to Slow Burn: Roe v. Wade, @ApplePodcasts  Show of the Year 2022.

Jen Psaki Is Praised for “Not Crazy” First Press Conference

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