Psaki Discusses Biden’s Performance and Media Coverage
In a recent interview, Jen Psaki, a former White House press secretary and current MSNBC host, expressed that she never noticed any signs of decline in former President Joe Biden during her time working with him.
“I was in the Oval Office every day, and I didn’t see that,” she commented, reflecting on the discussions that were ongoing at that time. The conversation touched on Biden’s performance in an upcoming presidential debate in June 2024.
After initially dropping out the following month, Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his replacement for the Democratic nomination.
“I’m not a doctor, and aging can happen fast,” Psaki acknowledged during the podcast that aired on Friday. She noted that since leaving the White House in May 2022, she hadn’t seen Biden in person over the past two and a half years leading up to the November election.
However, she did use the term “concealment” when discussing how the White House addressed questions regarding the president’s age during that period. “Concealment” is a loaded term, often associated with crime, she pointed out.
“That term is heavy, usually linked to things like Watergate or obstruction of public information,” she elaborated, suggesting that using such language could be misleading.
When asked about the media’s role in covering the significant topic of Biden’s health, she hesitated to be critical. “Maybe the media missed some important details,” she mused, acknowledging that reflecting back, it’s easy to criticize their coverage.
There were missed opportunities to highlight key moments and stories, she remarked.
During a White House correspondent’s dinner, Axios reporter Alex Thompson suggested that the media’s framing of Biden’s decline could have been more effective.
Psaki offered insight into why she might hesitate to raise concerns publicly. “There will be issues behind the scenes in 2023 and 2024, but there’s been a concerted effort from the right to highlight Biden’s age and perceived decline,” she said.
She voiced her regrets regarding how the unfolding 2024 presidential race has impacted Biden’s legacy and raised questions about his fitness for the role. Her successor, Karine Jean-Pierre, routinely downplayed concerns about Biden’s age, labeling some confusing footage as “cheap fakes.”
Now, Psaki is set to take on a more prominent role at MSNBC, taking over the 9 PM slot starting next week with a new program titled “The Briefing.” Rachel Maddow, who had occupied that time slot during the early days of the Trump administration, will now only return for Monday nights.
Psaki’s comments come on the heels of several revealing books being released in 2024 that examine the dynamics of the presidential race, including one by Chris Whipple, which suggests that Biden’s inner circle might be convincing him of things that don’t align with reality.
