The former White House press secretary had some interesting advice for her former boss, President Joe Biden, who is struggling to pull ahead of former president Donald Trump in the polls despite the barrage of politically motivated prosecution efforts against him.
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During an appearance on ABC’s “The View,” Psaki defended Biden’s constant avoidance of the press while suggesting he go on friendlier platforms that might not hold his feet to the fire.
Yes, she actually said this with a straight face.
During the episode, one of the hosts brought up how Biden has “held the fewest interviews and press availability of any president since Reagan” and asked what Psaki’s advice would be “in terms of his accessibility to press.”
Psaki responded, saying that “there are so many choices” when it comes to deciding which outlets to do interviews with. She then suggested that Biden go on shows like “The View” and others that might allow him to reach a bigger audience and even defended his avoidance of the media.
“So, my view is he should come on The View before he does a press conference. Thank you. He should because people want to have real conversations about issues that are happening. I think press conferences are important, but I also think him doing Howard Stern, that’s an interview that reached a broader audience of people. Him talking to the guys from Smartless, which is a great podcast. So if you’re in the White House, you’re not thinking about, ‘Am I checking the box on doing the most interviews?’ You’re thinking about, ‘Am I doing the most I can to communicate my message to the American people?’ That’s who I represent. I would say more Howard Stern, come on The View, more Smartless conversations where you’re having conversations about policy, but they’re real ones.”
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Over the duration of his first term in office, Biden has been criticized for not holding press conferences and generally dodging reporters who might ask something that might remotely resemble a tough question. The problem became so glaring that even the New York Times, which has served as the president’s propaganda arm, rebuked him for not engaging enough with the media.
Later Thursday, after the Politico story broke detailing the conflicts between Biden’s team and the NY Times brass, The Times doubled down and issued a blistering statement ripping the president for his absurd lack of transparency:
For anyone who understands the role of the free press in a democracy, it should be troubling that President Biden has so actively and effectively avoided questions from independent journalists during his term. The president occupies the most important office in our nation, and the press plays a vital role in providing insights into his thinking and worldview, allowing the public to assess his record and hold him to account.
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This is not the first time Psaki has defended Biden’s reticence about speaking with the press. When she served as press secretary, she faced questions about this issue. When asked about it on CNN, she rose to the occasion once again.
Psaki laughed off the incident [where Biden talked to a CNN reporter off the cuff], and explained that it happened after she had already left work and Biden was heading back to his residence. She then claimed that Biden takes questions “nearly every day that he’s out in front of the press.”
“That is not something we recommend. In fact, a lot of times we say ‘don’t take questions,’” she continued. “But he’s going to do what he wants to do because he’s the president of the United States.”
Psaki then claimed the administration has kept from being distracted by avoiding having Biden do more consistent press conferences in which he would have to answer questions about certain topics. She gave examples of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., impeachment, and Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo. She added that they wanted to focus his time on addressing subjects that they claim the American people care more about, such as the coronavirus pandemic and the economy.
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Of course, we all know the real reason why Biden avoids the press like the plague. It’s because nearly every time he’s in front of a camera, he inadvertently reminds the nation about his apparent age issues and cognitive decline. His team would be foolish to allow him to deal with the press on a regular basis, which means this trend will persist even when he is in front of a friendly audience.