Another day another wild episode of the final season of the Psaki Show. This time with a well-deserved grilling by Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy, and some rather bizarre questions from a couple of other reporters in the room.
First up we start with ABC’s Mary Bruce who seemed almost devastated that the Biden administration would go back on their promise to “slash greenhouse gas emissions” in half by 2030.
A concerned Bruce asked Psaki: that since “Congress has yet to act on many of your climate proposals, is the President's ambitious climate change goal and agenda still attainable?”
Psaki responded that their “historic investment in addressing the climate crisis” is “something that we will continue to discuss with Congress.”
Next up, is the moment you’ve all been waiting for with Peter Doocy firing off a number of hard-hitting questions for Psaki:
You said about this mask ruling out of a federal court in Florida that it’s a disappointing decision and you say you continue to recommend that people wear masks. Why is it that we can sit here in the White House briefing room with no masks, but people can't sit in an airplane cabin with no masks?
In response, Psaki sassed Doocy by claiming she’s “not a doctor” and neither is he: “You're not a doctor that I'm aware of.”
Finally getting around to answering the question, the belligerent press secretary tried to explain how the mask decisions are made: “these determinations, remember the masking guidance is there are is green, yellow and red. We are currently in a green zone in Washington, D. C. So they're not recommending it.”
Doocy promptly asked without skipping a beat “then would the President support if a flight is leaving from an airport in a green zone, those people don't have to wear masks?”
On to the next topic, he grilled Psaki on this startling statistic that should scare everyone (click “expand” to read):
DOOCY: Ok, on a different topic. We have new reporting that at least 23 people apprehended at the Southern border in 2021 are on the terror watch list. Why do you guys think it is that somebody on a terror watch list would want to get into the United States undetected?
PSAKI: Well I can't make an assessment of that. But what I can tell you is that your data you're citing here it means the Border Patrol was doing their job. I mean, they apprehended people at the border.
DOOCY: 2,000 illegal immigrants a day got away last month. Are you saying that you can say with certainty none of them are on a terror watch list?
PSAKI: What we're talking about encounters we know and of suspected terrorists attempting to cross the southern border. They're very uncommon. We're talking about a few dozen annual encounters at most at most, and these encounters represent significantly less than the 0.1% of total encounters per fiscal year in recent years, but I’d note these individuals, these 23 people, the Border Patrol, they stopped them. They prevented them from getting into the country. They're protecting our homeland and keeping us safe.
DOOCY: So the President is not worried about holes in the southern border being exploited by people trying to come in and kill Americans?
PSAKI: He’s grateful to the Border Patrol for doing their job and stopping these people and preventing them from getting into the country.
Going for the three-peat, Doocy shot one more question off about the Biden administration’s reckless accusations that border agents were whipping migrants at the border, which turned out to be another hoax that the media failed to admit:
DOOCY: And one additional question about something that happened a few months ago down at the border. We've been told that the mounted Border Patrol officers the President accused of whipping migrants had been notified they will not face criminal charges. So when is the President going to apologize to them?
PSAKI: There is a process and an investigation that's gone through the Department of Homeland Security. I don't have any update on that.
DOOCY: The President said that they were whipping people, which would be a criminal offense and they've been told they're not going to be criminally charged.
PSAKI: And there was an investigation into that, and I'll let the Department of Homeland Security announce any conclusion of that investigation.
DOOCY: You accused these officers of brutal and inappropriate measures now that they've been told they will not be criminally charged. Will you apologize?
PSAKI: And Peter, there was an investigation into their behavior so that investigation is playing out. Whenever there, it's going to be announced the Department of Homeland Security will announce that and I'm sure we'll have a comment on it after that…
Then Kelly O’Donnell from NBC News returned to the mask topic and openly fretted that there could be more violence onboard commercial airplanes, which Psaki laughably claimed was “a great question.”
Last but not least, was a critically important question from The Daily Mail’s Nikki Schwab about Senator Dianne Feinstein’s mental health that most of the media ignored. “Does President Biden have confidence in Senator Dianne Feinstein?” Schwab asked.
A confused Psaki replied Biden does and “she’s a longtime friend, a proud public servant, and someone he has long enjoyed serving with and working with.”
In response, Schwab followed up by asking “after that report came out last week questioning her health, did the President reach out to her at all?”
Psaki gave a non-answer that she doesn’t “have any updates on private conversations” and subsequently ended the press conference.
To read the relevant transcript of the April 18 White House press conference, click "expand":
White House Press Briefing
ABC News Live
4/18/2022
4:15:10 p.m. EasternMARY BRUCE (ABC NEWS): President has promised to slash greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030. Now you're having to expand production of fossil fuels. When you promised to curtail them, Congress as we know has yet to act on many of your climate proposals is the President's ambitious climate change goal and agenda still attainable? Or are these new leases gonna undercut that pledge?
JEN PSAKI: Well again, these leases are not in line with our policy or the President's view.
BRUCE: You know, policy or not, this is the situation that you're in.
PSAKI: It is and we're going to continue. There's obviously we're going to continue to fight this legal action. But I would say that you know the President remains committed, addressing the climate crisis is one of the four pillars that he came in. He ran on as President, and he will continue to fight for one of the reasons that this was so troubling to him is because he is so committed to that-that objective as President and we continue to propose have continued to propose. A historic investment in addressing the climate crisis, something that we will continue to discuss with Congress. So there are a lot of ways to get there that we will continue to work with Congress to take actions, but he has also not hesitated to take actions himself through his own, uh, authorities to take actions to help our climate.
BRUCE: But are you still confident that goal is achievable?
PSAKI: We are continuing to pursue it, and we're going to continue to do everything we can to reach it.
(...)
4:26:26 p.m. Eastern
PSAKI: Go ahead.
PETER DOOCY (FOX NEWS CHANNEL): Thank you, Jen. You said about this mask ruling out of a federal court in Florida that it’s a disappointing decision and you say you continue to recommend that people wear masks. Why is it that we can sit here in the White House briefing room with no masks, but people can't sit in an airplane cabin with no masks?
PSAKI: Well Peter, I'm not a doctor. You're not a doctor that I'm aware of. If you're a doctor, I wasn't aware of that today. Until today, Okay? Not a doctor. Just making sure I don't know. Um.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Nor do you play one on TV.
PSAKI: Nor does he play one on TV. There you go. Most days. But these determinations remember the masking guidance is there are is green, yellow and red. We are currently in a green zone in Washington, D. C. So they're not recommending it. Some people can still wear a mask if they want to. Many people do or wear them in meetings or wear them at certain times where you're going to be around or sitting close to people, Or maybe you have an immunocompromised parent or, or friend and so people make that decision and there's this is based on health considerations and data that the CDC looks at about transmissibility as, as we've seen an increase in cases on airplanes.
DOOCY: Then would the President support if a flight is leaving from an airport in a green zone, those people don't have to wear masks?
PSAKI: Again Peter. There's a there's been long a difference from the beginning about people on an airplane and then federal transportation vehicles and situations than where they are in locations like we here continue to be in Washington, D C. a green zone. But what we'd asked for, I think it's important to remember is a two-week extension or not ask for what we had announced was a two-week extension to look at the data and make recommendations based on the data and the science about whether it should be continued or not.
DOOCY: Ok, on a different topic. We have new reporting that at least 23 people apprehended at the Southern border in 2021 are on the terror watch list. Why do you guys think it is that somebody on a terror watch list would want to get into the United States undetected?
PSAKI: Well I can't make an assessment of that. But what I can tell you is that your data you're citing here it means the Border Patrol was doing their job. I mean, they apprehended people at the border.
DOOCY: 2,000 illegal immigrants a day got away last month. Are you saying that you can say with certainty none of them are on a terror watch list?
PSAKI: What we're talking about encounters we know and of suspected terrorists attempting to cross the southern border. They're very uncommon. We're talking about a few dozen annual encounters at most at most, and these encounters represent significantly less than the 0.1% of total encounters per fiscal year in recent years, but I’d note these individuals, these 23 people, the Border Patrol, they stopped them. They prevented them from getting into the country. They're protecting our homeland and keeping us safe.
DOOCY: So the President is not worried about holes in the southern border being exploited by people trying to come in and kill Americans?
PSAKI: He’s grateful to the Border Patrol for doing their job and stopping these people and preventing them from getting into the country.
DOOCY: And one additional question about something that happened a few months ago down at the border. We've been told that the mounted Border Patrol officers the President accused of whipping migrants had been notified they will not face criminal charges. So when is the President going to apologize to them?
PSAKI: There is a process and an investigation that's gone through the Department of Homeland Security. I don't have any update on that.
DOOCY: The President said that they were whipping people, which would be a criminal offense and they've been told they're not going to be criminally charged.
PSAKI: And there was an investigation into that, and I'll let the Department of Homeland Security announce any conclusion of that investigation.
DOOCY: You accused these officers of brutal and inappropriate measures now that they've been told they will not be criminally charged. Will you apologize?
PSAKI: And Peter, there was an investigation into their behavior so that investigation is playing out. Whenever there, it's going to be announced the Department of Homeland Security will announce that and I'm sure we'll have a comment on it after that. Go ahead!
KELLY O’DONNELL (NBC NEWS): Back on the mask issue as the debate is going on about next steps. Is there any concern in the White House that this issue now that there are some Americans who are aware of this ruling by the Florida judge that it could prompt some of the tensions we've seen on airplanes in recent months? Until there's a resolution.
PSAKI: Yeah, Kelly. It's a great question. Obviously what we're trying to do what we would encourage is calm in all cases and because this ruling just came out this afternoon. I know the objective of everybody involved and all the necessary authorities and government is to make a determination about next steps as quickly as possible. So that's certainly our hope, and we want to do everything we can to prevent that.
(...)
4:53:52 p.m. Eastern
NIKKI SCHWAB (DAILY MAIL): Thank you, Jen. Does President Biden have confidence in Senator Dianne Feinstein?
PSAKI: Does he have conf—?
SCHWAB: Confidence in Senator Feinstein?
PSAKI: Yes. She’s a longtime friend, a proud public servant, and someone he has long enjoyed serving with and working with.
SCHWAB: And after that report came out last week questioning her health, did the President reach out to her at all?
PSAKI: I don't have any updates on private conversations.
