New tone set in first press briefing
Psaki’s session sedate with no sign of nerves
WASHINGTON — If there’s one thing clear after White House press secretary Jen Psaki’s first session with reporters on Wednesday, it’s that she’s determined to minimize drama in the briefing room. Her 31-minute news conference stood in stark contrast to Sean Spicer’s first time before reporters four years earlier.
Psaki’s session was sedate, even boring at times, due at least in part to the newness of the administration.
She promised to make the sessions a weekday routine (“not Saturday and Sunday. I’m not a monster”). The 42-year-old Psaki was a State Department spokesperson and White House communications director in former President Barack Obama’s administration.
She didn’t see it as a choice when asked by Associated Press reporter Zeke Miller whether she saw her job as promoting Biden’s interests or providing the unvarnished truth on issues to the American people.
“His objective and his commitment is to bring transparency and truth back to government and to share the truth even when it’s hard to hear,” she said, “and that’s what I hope to do.”
Psaki handled questions with no outward nervousness, even displaying a practiced ability to duck. NBC’S Peter Alexander had to ask a second time whether Biden had confidence in FBI director Christopher Wray, before Psaki said she’d check with the president and come back with an answer at another time.
When Miller asked if Biden believed that Donald Trump should be barred from holding public office again, she didn’t directly answer, although she said Biden ran because he didn’t believe Trump could do the job capably.
Fox News Channel’s Peter Doocy wondered, given Biden’s call for unity in his inaugural address, whether the president thought the Senate should move forward with an impeachment trial for Trump.
“His view is the way to bring the country together is to address the problems we’re facing,” she said.