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Thursday 12 May 2022
Continued from Front tion.
Her departure could com- She said Psaki had a "fac-
plicate how Biden's mes- ticity to her work that is
sage gets out at a critical characteristic of good
time for him, at least in the press secretaries and it pre-
short term. supposes confidence. It
"Anybody with a brain presupposes access to the
would want her to stay be- president. It presupposes
cause she's so good," said an understanding of what
Martha Joynt Kumar, a the administration's position
political science professor is that proves to be true."
emerita at Towson Universi- Psaki, who got COVID-19
ty and director of the White twice while on the job,
House Transition Project, showed that striking a bal-
a nonpartisan group that ance between transpar-
tries to help streamline the ency and advancing the
transfer of power from one administration's message
administration to the next. could sometimes mean lit-
Succeeding Psaki is Karine erally keeping her balance.
Jean-Pierre, the first Black While aboard Air Force
woman and openly LGBTQ One, she sometimes stood
person to be White House in the aisle taking report-
press secretary. She takes ers' questions right through
over as the administration landing. "She made it clear
is navigating inflation and White House press secretary Jen Psaki hugs incoming press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre during a that the press has a funda-
Russia's war with Ukraine, press briefing at the White House, May 5, 2022, in Washington. mental role in our democ-
and as the Democratic Associated Press racy and even the most
Party is bracing for a No- exasperating people in the
vember election losses that she is standoffish. hypocrisy." A New York Post A 43-year-old native of press corps must be treat-
could erase its control of Groups cheering Psaki are columnist called Psaki "the Stamford, Connecticut, ed with dignity if not always
Congress. common across social me- condescending face of Psaki is the mother of chil- with respect," Mike McCur-
The White House says Jean- dia, including #Psakibomb, the Biden administration." dren ages 6 and 4. She ry, who was press secretary
Pierre, who has been Psa- which has more than 22 Colleagues say Psaki is an served as State Depart- under President Bill Clin-
ki's chief deputy, will bring million views on TikTok. Psa- encouraging and selfless of- ment spokesperson as well ton, said of Psaki via email.
strong personal expertise ki's sisters wore sweatshirts fice leader who digs deep as deputy press secretary "That's a lasting legacy."
and personality to the brief- with the slogan during fam- into policy, seeking an un- and deputy White House Robert Gibbs, who was
ing room. She knows Biden ily Zoom calls, though it was derstanding that goes far communications direc- Obama's press secretary
well and has been a long- more about gently pok- beyond talking points. Psaki tor under President Barack and helped coach Psaki
time adviser. ing fun at their sibling than begins her mornings writing Obama. Facing report- before she took on the role,
"I've had the honor of making a political state- long, sometimes predawn ers mere hours after Biden said she had resurrected
working with many White ment emails to her staff, laying was sworn in on Jan. 20, the White House briefing
House press secretaries But Psaki angered Republi- out what news is likely to 2021, Psaki stressed the im- room as "beneficial for
and no one has done the cans by likening the party's drive the day. She later portance of "bringing truth democracy" after "it was
job as well as Jen Psaki," supporters who adhere to holds pre-briefing prep ses- and transparency back to dead" under Trump. Gibbs
White House chief of staff Trump's fabrications about sions, which are often long the briefing room." also noted that Biden has
Ron Klain, a veteran of the the 2020 election to "si- enough to be interrupted Trump went through four largely shunned sit-down
Obama and Clinton ad- lent lemmings. " When she by other meetings, where press secretaries, including media interviews, making
ministrations, said in a state- quipped early in her ten- White House press staffers Stephanie Grisham who his press secretary espe-
ment. "I will miss her terribly ure that she did not know assigned to track differ- never held a briefing, and cially important.
as a colleague and friend, who at the White House ent issues talk about major her successor, Kayleigh "I think she was remarkably
but I know we are in great could answer questions themes in their areas. McEnany, who was fond effective spokesperson for
hands with Karine following about Space Force, House "At the end of the day, she of lecturing the media and a White House that is prob-
her lead." Republicans said she was is a policy wonk," said Jeff simultaneously served as a ably more dependent on
Psaki has not denied re- belittling a new branch of Zients, Biden's former COV- campaign adviser. Trump its spokespeople than the
ports she is heading to the armed services that is ID-19 response coordinator. preferred to engage direct- few most previous White
MSBNC, where on-air per- working to counter Chinese He called her a "once in a ly with the public, through Houses," Gibbs said.
sonalities are mostly sym- threats. More recently, generation talent" adept in rallies and tweets before Psaki's office referred ques-
pathetic to Biden and Sarah Huckabee Sanders, both policy and communi- he was banned from that tions to other White House
where Jean-Pierre herself a former Trump press sec- cation. social media platform. He staffers who could discuss
is a former analyst. Such a retary now running for Ar- "She is intellectually curious, also sometimes held his her tenure. But she recently
move will do little to alter kansas governor, said Psa- she asks the right questions own briefings and routinely told Fox News Channel's
perceptions of Psaki on the ki's failure to urge people and doesn't stop asking spread falsehoods while "MediaBuzz," "I'm an Irish
left or right. Democrats see to stop protesting outside questions until she's satisfied openly antagonizing re- lass in my heart."
her as a champion of their the homes of judges rep- that she's gotten to the bot- porters. "Sometimes I get a little fiery
causes; conservatives says resented "mind-boggling tom of the issue," he said. Kathleen Hall Jamieson, in there," Psaki said. "But on
director of the Annenberg most days, my hope and
LIKE US ON Public Policy Center at the my objective is to not make
University of Pennsylvania, it a gotcha moment and
said the job of press secre- to make it a place where
tary has "been done well we are providing informa-
both on the right and the tion, getting accurate in-
left" and requires respect- formation to the public
ing the media while an- through the press, through
Facebook.com/arubatoday/ swering questions in ways tough questions, through
that provide real informa-
debate."q