Jenn Psaki at one of her public speeching engagements. Photo: Flickr
Jen Psaki and her biggest statements at the White House
Psaki is the current White House spokesperson and has made several controversial comments to reporters attending press briefings.
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Jennifer Rene Psaki is an American political advisor who currently serves as White House Press Secretary.
She is 42 and since taking the position, she proposed to return normalcy, respect and cordiality to a press room that had been the scene of tension, reproach and even insults hurled at reporters by former President Donald Trump and his representatives.
Psaki was White House communications director during the last two years of Obama's term and since November 2020, was appointed by President Joe Biden as his White House press secretary.
Following the announcement of her appointment, Psaki said via Twitter that she was "honored to be working for Biden again."
Honored to work again for @JoeBiden, a man I worked on behalf of during the Obama-Biden Admin as he helped lead economic recovery, rebuilt our relationships with partners (turns out good practice) and injected empathy and humanity into nearly every meeting I sat in.
— Jen Psaki (@jrpsaki) November 29, 2020
During almost a year in office, the spokeswoman has offered a number of opinions on current issues in the country. These are some of her most relevant interventions:
Paternity leave
In October, Psaki put an end to a Newsmax reporter's question about Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg's paternity leave. The reporter asked "wouldn't it be prudent for the secretary to get on his bike, so to speak, and get back to work?"
Psaki responded that the secretary was working remotely amid giving birth to his children.
"Is he in the department now, every day?" questioned the reporter.
"I think what you're referring to here is the question of whether men, fathers and women should have paternity and maternity leave," Psaki added. "The answer is absolutely, yes. In our view, that's the policy of the administration, that's what we're pushing for in law to make it a reality for women, men and fathers across the country."
Jen Psaki takes on questions over Pete Buttigieg’s paternity leave, saying the administration won’t apologize for something all parents should have pic.twitter.com/dbFMJdxAEB— NowThis (@nowthisnews) October 20, 2021
Men and abortion
In September, the White House spokeswoman responded to a reporter questioning Biden's position on abortion amid controversy over the Texas anti-abortion law.
The reporter for Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN), a network of Catholic channels, asked during a press conference why the president supported voluntary termination of pregnancy if he was Catholic.
"He believes it is a woman's right, it is a woman's body and it is her choice," Psaki replied, to which the journalist responded with another question: "Who then believes he should look out for the unborn child?"
Psaki reasserted that Biden believes it is up to the woman and her doctor to make that decision.
"I know you've never faced that choice and you've never been pregnant, but for women out there facing that choice is an incredibly difficult thing and the president believes that their rights should be respected," she said.
"I know you have never faced those choices, nor have you ever been pregnant.”— NeuroPsychoPhD (@SethN12) September 3, 2021
-@PressSec Jen Psaki said to all men weighing in on abortion
pic.twitter.com/OXR8tX7Gs3
No more political analysis
Psaki also recently said she has learned her lesson and will refrain from political analysis from the podium after being accused earlier this month of violating the Hatch Act.
She made the comments after a reporter asked her during her daily press briefing whether Biden was "surprised" by how close the Virginia governor's race is between Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe, a former Virginia governor, and Republican candidate Glenn Youngkin.
"I've learned my lesson," Psaki responded. "I'm not going to do politics from here or political analysis. I can confirm that the president is coming to Arlington this afternoon and that is also my hometown."
"I've learned my lesson, I'm not going to do any politics from here or political analysis," WH Press Secretary Jen Psaki, when asked about the VA gubernatorial race during the briefing just now.
— Courtney Bublé (@courtneybuble) October 26, 2021
Seems to be alluding to this Hatch Act allegation: https://t.co/HHnFdsuuFo
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