White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki appeared on CNN’s doomed streaming service to be interviewed by embattled host Chris Wallace.
However, rather than only throwing softballs, Wallace actually grilled Psaki about Democrat President Joe Biden’s lack of interaction with the press.
Wallace asked her: “I understand that some of the supporters of the bill have used inflammatory language saying that opponents of the bill want to sexualize children or groom children.
“On the other hand, don’t parents have a right to have concerns?
“I mean we’re talking specifically here about teaching about sex in Kindergarten through third grade.
“I have to say as a parent, I would have problems with that.”
Psaki said: “But the law is not about teaching sex education.
“It’s about teaching about, gender identity.
“And so what do you do if a parent or a kid, should I say a kid in one of these elementary schools says ‘what about Sally? Sally has two moms!’
“Or ‘I’m not sure if I’m a girl or a boy.
“I mean these are kids who are experiencing these moments in their lives.
“I also think that these are not, there’s not a big record of there being either sex education or extensive gender identity education in these schools, and this is creating a problem or a political cudgel about an issue that I don’t think exists,” she said.
Wallace then grilled Psaki about Joe Biden.
“Why has President Biden been so sheltered from the press?” he asked.
She said: “In what way?
“He just did a press conference several weeks ago.
“He takes questions from the press nearly every day.”
Wallace wasn’t buying it and said:
“In his first year, Joe Biden held two solo news conferences in the White House.
“And he held five on foreign trips, and take a look at this, in his first year Mr. Biden sat down for twenty-eight interviews with reporters.
“That compares to ninety-five in the same period of time for Donald Trump, and a hundred and sixty-two for Barack Obama.
“By comparison, Jen that’s sheltered.
Psaki said:
“Nearly every day at the White House, he takes questions from the White House press corps…
“Yeah but Jen –,” Wallace interrupted.
Psaki said:
“Two questions three questions eight questions.
“So why is that different?”
Wallace said: “I’ll tell you exactly why that’s different because when you’re standing there, you can take a question.
“You can answer it, you can slough it off and you can move on.
“And oftentimes, he gives a partial answer and walks away.
“It in no way compares to sitting down with a reporter for 20 minutes, 30 minutes, and having — you can’t move away, you can duck it, you’ve got to sit there and answer the question and the follow-up.
“It’s not the same thing,” he said.
“We can agree to disagree on that Chris,” Psaki said before adding:
“I think how he has felt engaging with the press makes sense to him or works, is how he used to do it in the Senate.
“Which was to talk to reporters after he did events.
“Take their questions, often times he takes multiple questions. Sometimes there are follow-ups.
“He’s done that two or three times more than his predecessors and I think for most of the White House reporters that gives them an opportunity to ask questions often a couple of times a week,” she said.
Chris Wallace asked Jen Psaki why Biden has been so sheltered from the press.
Psaki got clearly offended and Wallace actually pushed back! pic.twitter.com/8QHJZPBoxS
— Kevin Tober (@KevinTober94) April 20, 2022
JEN PSAKI: Teachers should talk with kindergarteners about if they’re “a girl or a boy.” pic.twitter.com/CeDSEU0boX
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) April 21, 2022
