Jen Psaki ‘Jokes’ With White House Reporters About Biden Press Conference: ‘Do You Want To Tell Me Your Questions?’

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki had some fun at the White House press corps’ expense with a pair of quips about President Joe Biden’s much-demanded and anticipated first formal press conference that will occur Thursday.

Psaki briefed reporters aboard Air Force One while en route to Ohio on Tuesday, and the subject of the presser came up toward the end of the gaggle. In her responses, Psaki made light of a weeks-old story, and also of the reporters’ social media oeuvre:

Q And any details on the press conference Thursday?

MS. PSAKI: What are you looking to know?

Q Well —

MS. PSAKI: Do you want to tell me your questions? I’ll take those down. (Laughter.)

Q No, are we still looking — is there an on-record time that we can announce yet? Or is it still FPPO?

MS. PSAKI: I expect it to be in the afternoon, but we’re finalizing the details based around some other specifics in his schedule.

Q How is the President preparing for the presser?

MS. PSAKI: How is he preparing for it? Looking at your Twitters — (laughter) — and seeing what’s on your mind.

You know, I think he is, you know, thinking about it. It’s an opportunity for him to speak to the American people, obviously directly through the coverage, directly through all of you. And so I think he’s thinking about what he wants to say, what he wants to convey, where he can provide updates, and, you know, looking forward to the opportunity to engage with a free press.

The former was likely a reference to a February Daily Beast story that falsely suggested Psaki and her team screen out “tough” questions by asking reporters to submit them in advance, which press operatives and journalists quickly pointed out was a sinister re-framing of a standard and innocuous practice by every press shop. The Twitter crack was self-explanatory.

Listen above via pool.

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