MSNBC host and former Biden White House press secretary Jen Psaki mocked President Donald Trump by holding a faux-Karoline Leavitt briefing to give her own answers to real questions that were asked of the White House press secretary.
On Friday’s edition of MSNBC’s The Briefing with Jen Psaki, the host referenced her own days at the podium and with a briefing room backdrop, used the mock-briefing format to trash Trump over his crypto scheme, his firing of a Black woman from the post of Librarian of Congress (heavily suggesting race and gender were the reasons), and other topics:
JEN PSAKI: I have noticed the White House briefing room has taken a bit of a bizarro turn lately. And I figured, what the hell, it’s a Friday night. Why not dust off the cobwebs and field a few questions from the White House press briefing room today? Because it’s been a while.
Of course, I’m going to answer them without the usual MAGA spin. So we got a few, they’re actual questions from today. And we’re going to start with Andrew Eggers from the Bulwark. All right, Andrew, let’s hear what you got.
REPORTER: The president posted another ad this week for his Trump meme coin. The group that’s running that coin is encouraging people to buy in order to win a dinner this month with the president.
Why is the president planning to attend a dinner for the top investors in his coin?
JEN PSAKI: I love that he was reading it.
Well, Andrew, here’s the thing. This is all about the grift. Selling access to make himself and his adult sons richer is a key part of this presidency.
And guess what? It’s working. I mean, since that dinner you mentioned was announced, the surge of trading has brought in more than $1 million in fees for Trump, his family and all their partners.
They’ve all netted more than 320 million dollars since Trump’s coin debuted in January. So that’s why he’s planning to attend the dinner, the money for himself.
It’s pretty, that’s a pretty easy one. Okay, we’re gonna take another one. Jacqui Heinrich from Fox News.
REPORTER: Why did the White House announce this deal with the UK before all of the details were finished?
Oh, Jacqui. Well, the announcement and the headlines it generates are pretty much the point. The details are kind of secondary.
I mean, Trump gets to put on a show in the Oval Office and pretend like he’s achieved a monumental victory. The deal is just a bit of an empty shell.
I mean you could, I guess, call it a framework, which is sort of generous, or agreement to negotiate more than anything else. But the 10% tariff on goods remains in place. And there are big remaining questions, huge ones, like any UK tax on digital services for the US, something that would have huge effects on American tech companies. And there were many more.
Okay, next question. Stephen Nelson from the New York Post.
REPORTER: On New York, the mayor, Eric Adams, is here today. Can you tell us anything more about the visit, who initiated it, what they’re talking about?
JEN PSAKI: I would just note this reporter once asked me if the Bidens were going to put their dog down.
But that aside, here’s the answer to that question. Eric Adams is visiting because he owes his current freedom to the guy sitting in the White House. Let’s stop pretending this is on the level, like where the relationship is between a president and a New York City mayor just coordinating city business in a normal course of events. I mean, even the judge who allowed the case to be dropped said that it, quote, smacks of a bargain.
Okay, we’ve got time, we’re having fun here. How about Nicole Killian from CBS News?
REPORTER: Can you just clarify the president’s position a little bit specifically on the tax issue? Because in his Truth Social post he said this morning that he would accept even a tiny tax increase for the rich, but then says Republicans probably shouldn’t do it, but I’m okay if they do it.
So what is it that he wants? Does he want them to increase the tax rates?
JEN PSAKI: I mean, Nicole, I totally understand why you’re confused here, but let me tell you the truth that they can’t say from the podium right now. He just definitely does not want them to increase taxes. And he will be even less inclined once he hears from any number of his multimillionaire and even billionaire buddies who will hate this. What he wants to be able to do is to say to some part of his political base, maybe working class voters, that he tried to get taxes raised on the highest income, at least a small portion of them. And then blame it on someone else for that failing. While not taking the blame for the taxes going up. I mean, he may be conniving, but the guy knows how to read a poll. He also doesn’t like angry phone calls from donors. So I guess, I mean he’s trying to walk a tightrope here, Nicole. Okay, next question from Axios’s Sophia Kai.
REPORTER: Yesterday, the administration appears to have started dismantling the Consumer Product Safety Commission. This is the federal agency, an independent one, that does recalls and is responsible for product safety. Does the administration not believe that it’s important, you know, to keep toys and cribs? I mean, you’re a young mom off of the process.
JEN PSAKI: I love that you had to state in your question, Sophia, what they actually do, which is important for people to remember. But that’s right. He did. And these people also inspect things like strollers and seat belts. When you combine this with the impact that tariffs on China are going to have on the cost of things like stroller and car seats and toys and cribs, it’s kind of hard to argue. They see the safety and affordability of these items as important. All right. I got time for one more. Chris McGurion from the Associated Press. Last one.
REPORTER: The President fired the Librarian of Congress. Why did he choose to do that?
JEN PSAKI: All right, Chris, why did Trump abruptly fire Carla Hayden, the Librarian of Congress, who has served in her position, I would note, since 2016 and was confirmed by the Senate with bipartisan support in a vote of 74 to 18?
Well, I’m going to use a visual aid. Here’s a picture of her. I’ll let you draw your own conclusions on why Trump and his administration decided to fire Carla Hayden.
Hope that was all clarifying.
Watch above via MSNBC’s The Briefing with Jen Psaki.
