Just like she has done time and time before, Jen Psaki, the White House press correspondent, has dodged questions on key issues that are posed by reporters. In this particular case, Paski was asked several times about the crisis at the southern border with Mexico.
Fox News reporter Peter Doocy asked the key question:
“Mexico’s president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, said that people coming into the U.S. right now see Biden, President Biden, as the migrant president.” “Does the White House take that as a compliment?”
“Well, first it’s Mexico will have to be, is an important partner in ensuring we’re addressing the flow of migrants from Central America through Mexico, and many to the border of the United States,” Psaki responded. “We have conveyed privately and publicly, as well, that the majority of people who come to our border will be turned away. We certainly also recognize that because the president and our administration has made a decision that the way to humanely approach immigration is to allow for unaccompanied minors to come and be treated with humanity and be in a safe place while we’re trying to get them into homes and sponsored homes that some more may have come to our border, and there have been, of course, a large flow of children across the border.”
“We recognize that, but we made a policy decision because we felt it was the humane approach,” she said. “But the facts are the vast, vast majority of people who come to our border are turned away, and the statistics bear that out.”
Though we have a crisis at the border and COVID concerns at the border, Jen Psaki continues to deflect while claiming to be "interested in facts."
On green jobs? No real answer on job losses or huge pay discrepancies between jobs Biden cut/will cut and new "green jobs." pic.twitter.com/oUOFoRt2Wu
— (((Jason Rantz))) on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) March 11, 2021
Surprisingly, CNN even pressed Psaki on the issue, referring especially to the fact that Biden refuses to call the crisis, a crisis.
The reporter asked Psaki:
“The administration has refused to call it a crisis, instead referring to it as a challenge and saying what you call it doesn’t make a difference of how you’re responding to it. But now today, there are over 3,700 children, unaccompanied migrant children, in border patrol custody. They’re spending on average over 100 hours, four days, in these facilities that are jail-like facilities not meant for children, so how can you say that’s not a crisis?”
Psaki answered in part: “Well, I think what Ambassador Jacobson and Secretary Mayorkas were conveying, and what I’ve conveyed, is it doesn’t matter what you call it. It is an enormous challenge. It is something that is front and center for the president.”
It’s rather shocking, “it doesn’t matter what you call it.” Yes it does Psaki, words have gravity, perhaps if the president would stand up and call it what it is, a crisis, something will be done.
