Former White House press secretary Jen Psaki‘s credibility took a hit this week.
Psaki said she will alter future reprints of her book after being called out for claiming President Biden did not look at his watch during a 2021 ceremony for U.S. service members who were killed in Afghanistan.
Psaki initially claimed in her new book, “Say More,” that Biden never looked at his watch “during the ceremony.” However, a report by Axios noted that Psaki's version contradicted pictures and Gold Star families' firsthand accounts.
The MSNBC host later clarified after online backlash and told Axios “the detail in a few lines of the book about the exact number of times he looked at his watch will be removed in future reprints and the eBook.”
In 2021, USA Today issued a correction on a “fact check” of the incident after initially claiming Biden only checked his watch when the ceremony was over. USA Today took heat for suggesting the Gold Star families who alleged they saw Biden check his watch multiple times during the dignified transfer ceremony had lied, and the paper issued a correction.
Psaki also mistakenly cited a Washington Post passage to bolster her account, Axios reported, when the sentences she cited actually came from USA Today.
The book, “Say More: Lessons from Work, the White House, and the World,” hit stores last week. Psaki, who joined MSNBC in May 2022 and has continued to be a reliable Biden supporter, was blasted by conservatives on social media.
.@jrpsaki I've spoke to these parents.
— Rep. Mike Waltz (@michaelgwaltz) May 13, 2024
Calling Gold Star families liars – even when there's photographic proof – is a pathetic partisan attempt to defend your boss and a bad look. https://t.co/XoZi6VTETX
Of all the ridiculous things that Jen Psaki has lied about, this one has to top the list: https://t.co/TQKhoAtiBm
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) May 13, 2024
Reminder: @jrpsaki was paid to lie for @joebiden on the daily. https://t.co/lmxUQRCrcE
— Ryan Petty (@rpetty) May 13, 2024
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