Jen Psaki Insists She 'never Saw' Diminished Biden While Working As Press Secretary

MSNBC big and erstwhile White House property caput Jen Psaki insisted successful a caller question and reply that she ne'er saw signs that erstwhile President Joe Biden had declined while she worked for him.

"I ne'er saw that personification —not a azygous time, and I was successful nan Oval Office each day, that was connected that statement stage," Psaki said connected nan "Mixed Signals" podcast astir Biden's capacity during nan June 2024 presidential debate which raised alarms astir his fittingness to service different term. He dropped retired nan pursuing period and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to switch him arsenic nan Democratic nominee.

"I'm not a doctor. Aging happens rather quickly," Psaki added connected nan Semafor podcast that was published Friday.

The erstwhile Biden aide, who near nan White House successful May 2022, said she hadn't seen him successful personification successful nan two-and-a-half years afterward starring up to nan November election. 

Jen Psaki said nan Joe Biden that was connected nan statesmanlike statement shape past June wasn't nan aforesaid 1 she worked for successful nan White House successful 2021 and 2022. (Getty Images)

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But she warned against group utilizing nan word "cover-up" to picture really the White House responded to questions astir nan president's property during that time.

"'Cover-up' is simply a very loaded term," Psaki said, adding that group typically usage that look erstwhile talking astir a crime.

"People usage that word arsenic related to Watergate. Or nan covering up of not sharing nationalist accusation astir a war," she continued. "I deliberation it's a spot of a vulnerable term."

Psaki was besides hesitant to knock nan media erstwhile asked if nan property should've been "more aggressive" successful covering nan "pretty large story" astir nan president's health.

Then-President Joe Biden speaks during an arena successful Rocky Mount, North Carolina, connected June 9, 2023. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

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"Maybe nan media missed a lot," she said, while arguing that it was easier to beryllium captious of property sum successful retrospect. "There were awesome stories and moments missed."

Axios newsman Alex Thompson utilized a speech astatine nan White House Correspondents' Dinner connected Saturday to opportunity nan assembled media "should person done better" astatine covering Biden's decline.

Psaki suggested 1 logic location whitethorn person been a reluctance to study connected these concerns.

"While we cognize location were problematic things behind-the-scenes now successful 2023 and 2024, location was an fierce all-out pitching cognition from nan right-wing and from nan Republicans astir Joe Biden's property and really he was successful decline….the mostly of which wasn't true, successful 2019-2022," Psaki claimed.

That effort by nan correct "worked," she said.

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Former President Joe Biden's property and intelligence fittingness concerns led to him exiting nan 2024 race. (Getty Images)

Psaki lamented that Biden's bequest would beryllium tainted by really nan 2024 title played retired and brought questions astir his fittingness to nan forefront. Her successor arsenic property secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, routinely dismissed questions astir Biden's property and criticized videos of him appearing confused arsenic "cheap fakes."

Psaki is group to return connected a much salient domiciled astatine MSNBC, getting nan coveted 9 p.m. ET slot Tuesdays done Fridays opening adjacent week connected a programme called "The Briefing." Top-rated MSNBC big Rachel Maddow, who had been hosting 5 nights a week astatine 9 p.m. during nan first 100 days of nan Trump administration, will return to only broadcasting connected Monday nights.

Psaki's comments travel nan merchandise of respective bombshell books giving an insider look astatine nan 2024 statesmanlike race.

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In writer Chris Whipple's book, "Uncharted," he based on that Biden's soul circle "convinced themselves successful spite of nan evidence" that Biden was tin of serving different term.