White House press sec. Jen Psaki denies Pres. Biden criticized two Democratic senators for voting with GOP.
Psaki was asked Wednesday to explain where those comments came from and why the president"felt the need to call out members of his own party."
"I would say first that if Senator Manchin and Senator Sinema were standing with me here today -- they're always welcome -- they would call out their own independent streaks. And that's something that I think they're both proud of," Psaki said.President Joe Biden delivers remarks to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre at the Greenwood Cultural Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma on June 1, 2021.
Psaki went on to argue Biden was simply commenting on the lack of complexity surrounding TV analysis -- and that the president knows"it's not a straight line to victory or success" and that"sometimes... it takes more time."When asked flat out if she was suggesting the comment was not a criticism of Manchin and Sinema, Psaki doubled down on her defense -- refusing to criticize the senators whose votes Biden would need to move any legislation.
"It was not, no. He considers them both friends. He considers them both good working partners, and he also believes that, in democracy, we don't have to see eye to eye on every detail of every single issue in order to work together. And he certainly thinks that reflects their relationship," she said.Sen. Kyrsten Sinema and Sen. Chris Murphy walk together in the U.S. Capitol, May 26, 2021.Sen. Joe Manchin walks with reporters at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., May 27, 2021.
Psaki also pushed back on the suggestion that the president's comments showed a new openness to filibuster reform. She pivoted when asked if the president would be okay with voting reform getting more than 50 votes but not making it to his desk -- as was the case with the
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