Friday concluded the first full week of Biden White House press briefings and, by this point, we’ve noticed a few trends. Aside from Press Secretary Jen Psaki refusing to answer any number of questions, two takeaways are the lack of condescension and hostility from reporters and biting responses from the press secretary. Instead, we’ve seen plenty of softballs, reverence for administration officials, bland questioning, and on Friday, the end of Brian Karem’s charade.
Whether it be FNC’s Peter Doocy or surprise entries from liberal outlets, there have been plenty of tough questions. Friday gave us a tough question on Governor Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) and the first one about the mistreatment of National Guard troops, but also the hilarious attempt by leftist Twitter use to make #Psakibomb a thing stemming from her responses to the GameStop fiasco.
It’s doubtful those tweeting that hashtag felt the same about whenever Kayleigh McEnany, Sarah Sanders, or Sean Spicer schooled a reporter.
Fox News was back in the briefing room seating rotation, so it fell to White House correspondent Kristin Fisher to wonder if the administration had any reaction to the report from New York AG Letitia James (D) about COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes.
As she’s done with topics she hasn’t felt like answering, Psaki deflected by suggesting the matter had nothing to do with the White House (click “expand”):
FISHER: The New York attorney general released a report yesterday saying that the state had undercounted the number of COVID deaths by as much as 50 percent in nursing homes. Would President Biden support a federal investigation into what happened and Governor Andrew Cuomo's role?
PSAKI: I've seen those reports. I would say any investigation, I would you point you to the Department of Justice.
FISHER: But does the White House think that it should be looked into further.
PSAKI: Again, any investigation could be led by the Department of Justice. We're in a new age. They're independent and they will determine what paths they take moving forward.
FISHER: Okay.
Incredibly, it’s been a week since Politico injected into the mainstream press the disturbing treatment the tens of thousands of guardsmen and women were subjected to as they guarded streets around our three branches of government.
And in that time, not a single briefing room question had been asked of Psaki to give a White House response from the podium on troops being forced to sleep in parking garages, contracting the coronavirus, and receiving scant food was worthy of time at a briefing. But we were mistaken.
On Friday, Real Clear Politics White House reporter Susan Crabtree Hennebury ended that shameful silence on the heels of her latest reporting on their plight (click “expand”):
HENNEBURY: I know President Biden and the First Lady are acutely aware of the sacrifices that military families make. That being said, we had an incident in the garage with the National Guard that was kind of embarrassing and now I'm hearing from spouses of guards members that they had a COVID outbreak and were not tested or vaccinated before they arrived in D.C. And I'm wondering if there is any concern about the president about how these guardsman are being treated, whether he could do anything specifically to safeguard their health before they arrive, while they're here. Could he get vaccinations to — and testing to governors, specifically for the purpose of providing some health safeguards to these soldiers?
PSAKI: Well, as you noted at beginning of your question, but I would just reiterate, the role of the National Guard and I've spoken to the President about this directly, and the incredible sacrifice they make is something that is personal to him given his family connection to the National Guard. He had called the head of the National Guard just last week when the reports came out about the treatment of the National Guard and the fact that they had been — many had been sleeping in garages and, of course, conveyed his dismay of the photos and their treatment and also offered his personal — personally any help that he could provide, even if it was boosting moral. And that line of communication is open should there be something that he could do from his end. In terms of specific prioritization of the vaccine, I would you point you to the Department of Defense and leaders over there to speak to that more specifically.
Hennebury remained on the National Guard theme for a follow-up about whether President Biden has “been briefed on” the existence of what House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has called threat to the lives of House Democrats from the “enemy within” (read: House Republicans) and if the National Guard would remain as part of that through the impeachment trial.
Psaki refused to answer, saying she’d check with the White House’s Homeland Security team and Hennebury should ask “the Department of Defense and the National Guard team otherwise.”
Over in the nonsensical category was the briefing’s fifth question thanks to CBS’s Nancy Cordes: “And has President Biden spoken to former President Trump since taking office and if so, could you give us any update on what President Trump said in his letter to President Biden?”
Cordes did somewhat redeem herself later on by bringing up a Politico story about the Biden family’s ethics issues, but the point remains: These people can’t quit Trump.
CNN White House correspondent Jeremy Diamond did his part for Team Zucker by seeking an answer on when career government officials installed by the Trump administration (like NSA’s Michael Ellis) will be axed.
Unfortunately, Psaki didn’t have an update: “I don't have anything new for you on that other than I don't have any personnel announcement. Um, certainly, we're reviewing personnel across government, including political appointees, most of whom have left, but I don't have anything new on any decisions there.”
To see the relevant transcript from January 29's briefing, click “expand.”
White House Press Briefing
September 29, 2021
10:10 a.m. EasternNANCY CORDES: And has President Biden spoken to former President Trump since taking office and if so, could you give us any update on what President Trump said in his letter to President Biden?
JEN PSAKI: I don't update. I don’t have any calls to report on. There are no calls to report on, I should say. And I don't have any update on the letter. And as I said, when we talked about this about a week and a half ago, it seems longer than that, I'm going to acknowledge, the President, of course, thought the letter was gracious and generous, but he plans to keep it private.
(....)
10:15 a.m. Eastern
KRISTIN FISHER: The New York attorney general released a report yesterday saying that the state had undercounted the number of COVID deaths by as much as 50 percent in nursing homes. Would President Biden support a federal investigation into what happened and Governor Andrew Cuomo's role?
PSAKI: I've seen those reports. I would say any investigation, I would you point you to the Department of Justice.
FISHER: But does the White House think that it should be looked into further.
PSAKI: Again, any investigation could be led by the Department of Justice. We're in a new age. They're independent and they will determine what paths they take moving forward.
FISHER: Okay.
(....)
10:24 a.m. Eastern
SUSAN CRABTREE HENNEBURY: I know President Biden and the First Lady are acutely aware of the sacrifices that military families make. That being said, we had an incident in the garage with the National Guard that was kind of embarrassing and now I'm hearing from spouses of guards members that they had a COVID outbreak and were not tested or vaccinated before they arrived in D.C. And I'm wondering if there is any concern about the president about how these guardsman are being treated, whether he could do anything specifically to safeguard their health before they arrive, while they're here. Could he get vaccinations to — and testing to governors, specifically for the purpose of providing some health safeguards to these soldiers?
PSAKI: Well, as you noted at beginning of your question, but I would just reiterate, the role of the National Guard and I've spoken to the President about this directly, and the incredible sacrifice they make is something that is personal to him given his family connection to the National Guard. He had called the head of the National Guard just last week when the reports came out about the treatment of the National Guard and the fact that they had been — many had been sleeping in garages and, of course, conveyed his dismay of the photos and their treatment and also offered his personal — personally any help that he could provide, even if it was boosting moral. And that line of communication is open should there be something that he could do from his end. In terms of specific prioritization of the vaccine, I would you point you to the Department of Defense and leaders over there to speak to that more specifically.
HENNEBURY: Okay. One follow up to that. On the question of Nancy Pelosi — Speaker Pelosi's concern about the enemy within, has the President been briefed on such a threat? And does he agree that the National Guard should be here until mid-March during the impeachment trial?
PSAKI: I'll speak to Liz Sherwood-Randall and our Department of Homeland Security — or Homeland Security colleagues here to see if there is more specifics from our end. But I would point you to the Department of Defense and the National Guard team otherwise.
(....)
10:28 a.m. Eastern
JEREMY DIAMOND: And then at the National Security Agency, Michael Ellis, a Trump appointee was installed as the general council which is a career position as you know. Is there — is the — are you guys considering reviewing that decision or attempting to remove Michael Ellis from his position as general council of the NSA?
PSAKI: I don't have anything new for you on that other than I don't have any personnel announcement. Um, certainly, we're reviewing personnel across government, including political appointees, most of whom have left, but I don't have anything new on any decisions there.
(....)
10:33 a.m. Eastern
CORDES: You could confirm the Politico story about the President warning his family members to avoid any conflict of interest with his presidency and in their business ties?
PSAKI: Well, well — I'm not going to get into private conversations between the President and his family members. We all have lots of conversations with different family members I'm sure. The President is committed to ensuring we have the most ethically vigorous administration if history and that includes restrictions on what — how his image could be used, um, and, um, and that is something that he's conveyed publicly and privately as well. Um, so let me reiterate the policy for all of you, which I think is maybe the next question or I’ll just reiterate it proactively, it is the White House's policy that the President’s name should not be used in connection with any commercial activities to suggest in any way that could be understood to imply his endorsement or support. He's issued the farthest-reaching executive order with respect to the ethical commitments required of appointees ever and is very proud of it and, you know, that’s something that he is committed to conveying to anyone that it applies to.
