- White House press secretary Jen Psaki has tried to lower the temperature in the briefing room.
- Psaki knows the work involves tough questions and strives for facts-based answers.
- “People should know I’m not going to be a scammer up there,” she told The Daily Beast.
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While the relationship between the White House press corps and the presidential governments has always been somewhat hostile, former President Donald Trump’s relationship with the media was known for its perpetual toxicity.
Since her debut nearly three weeks ago, White House press secretary Jen Psaki has been trying to lower the temperature and focus on policy.
In an interview with The Daily Beast, Psaki reflected on her first press conference, where she spoke collegially with journalists and talked about “the role of a free and independent press in our democracy.”
This statement was in stark contrast to the rugged personalities of former press secretaries such as Sean Spicer, Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Kayleigh McEnany.
Psaki said she knows the job comes with tough questions and appreciates the focus on facts.
“That has certainly been my perspective throughout my career, and my goal has been to return to accuracy and transparency from the podium,” said Psaki. “But also [to acknowledge that] there would be moments of disagreement, and that was part of democracy, wasn’t it? ‘
She added, “Fact sheets are back. We love fact sheets here. Our goal is to make policy hip again.”
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Psaki and the White House communications team are already receiving mostly positive reviews from the press force, many of whom had become accustomed to the Trump administration’s spotty briefings and email responses.
“It’s great to return to briefings and be a useful exchange for reporters to get their questions answered,” Zeke Miller, Associated Press White House reporter, told The Daily Beast. “But it’s not just about the exchange of information; it’s about the powerful symbol that forum sends around the world, but also to Washington – that the government is not above answering journalists’ questions. It’s an important principle that good to see. “
However, Psaki’s interaction with Politico’s Anita Kumar the past week shows that the core dynamics of the role of the press secretary in the reduction has not disappeared.
Psaki, unhappy about a question asked about President Joe Biden’s relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping, chided the White House correspondent.
“I don’t appreciate the words in my mouth,” Psaki said to Kumar, who was reportedly shocked by the meeting.
“People should know I won’t be a pushover up there,” Psaki told The Daily Beast. ‘And I don’t allow people to put words in my mouth or misinterpret what I said. It is important to be clear and concrete and very specific, because you are still speaking on behalf of the government. ‘