Psaki Snaps Over Questions on Biden's Handling of Border Crisis
Biden administration continues to downplay crisis at Southern Border
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White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki appeared to buckle under the pressure during a Tuesday presser as Joe Biden's administration continues to downplay the crisis at the U.S. Southern Border.
Reporters are repeatedly pressing the administration for answers about Joe Biden’s handling of the border crisis.
One of the most notable exchanges during Tuesday's press conference came when a reporter asked Psaki about the accuracy of newly reported-on statistics about the border crisis.
In response, Psaki insisted that the reporter should ask the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) about the data because “it’s not our program.”
DHS is run by the Biden administration and Biden’s secretary nominee, Alejandro Mayorkas, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate and now runs the department.
"I would encourage you to go back to them and ask them again," Psaki snapped.
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"We’re not going to confirm them from the White House,” Psaki claimed.
"It’s not our program,” she added.
"It’s the Department of Homeland Security.”
WATCH:
Biden Press Secretary Jen Psaki on DHS' refusal to confirm border crisis numbers: “talk to them…it’s not our program”https://t.co/Mmh4r6dKdY pic.twitter.com/10yZbWH3m2
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) March 9, 2021
During another exchange, Psaki was pressed about whether the administration would admit that there was a crisis going on on the southern border, according to The Daily Wire.
"Look, I don’t think we need to sit here and put new labels on what we have already conveyed is challenging, what we have conveyed is a top priority for the president, what our policy teams are working on every single day,” Psaki said.
"They obviously, there was a trip to the border this weekend.
"They are working over the course of every day since then on putting in place policies that can help address what we’re seeing and help ensure that we are keeping these kids safe and moving them as quickly as possible from border patrol facilities to shelters where they can have access to educational resources, health resources, mental health resources, legal aid, et cetera.”
When asked if there’s a border crisis, Biden Press Secretary Jen Psaki says “I don’t think we need…labels” https://t.co/yhUbzHTI27 pic.twitter.com/jUOI0ZCd5w
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) March 9, 2021
Several minutes later, another reporter pressed Psaki again on the border crisis, asking, “why has this administration been so reluctant to call it a crisis?”
“With the huge uptick in the number of migrants being detained, including thousands of children, if that doesn’t qualify as a crisis, what does?” the reporter continued.
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“Well, because we think that it’s most important to explain the substantive policy of what’s happening, what the root causes are of why these kids are coming, and what we’re doing to try to solve what is a very challenging circumstance at the border,” Psaki said.
Biden Press Secretary Jen Psaki confronted on border crisis: “if that doesn’t qualify as a crisis, what does?”https://t.co/Zh7gQQIGxa pic.twitter.com/8Z8BYVGL2H
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) March 9, 2021
Psaki is continuing to refuse to label the situation at the border as a "crisis."
"I don’t think we need to sit here and put new labels on what we’ve already conveyed is challenging," Psaki told reporters in the briefing room.
"If this doesn’t qualify as a crisis, what does?" one reporter blasted.
