Jen Psaki Says Kevin McCarthy’s Press Conference Meltdown Shows Trump’s Continued Sway Over Republicans

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki cited House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s bizarre press conference about the Jan. 6 commission as an example of former President Donald Trump’s continued “sway” over the GOP.

Ms. Psaki briefed reporters Thursday and was asked to assess President Joe Biden’s first year in office.

“Just on the President’s first anniversary in office: What does he regard as his single-most important achievement? And does he acknowledge that any mistakes have been made? And if so, what’s the biggest mistake?” a reporter asked Psaki.

“Well, I would say first that, you know, the President is very proud of the progress we’ve made in getting 200 million Americans vaccinated, very proud of the work we have done to cut the childhood poverty by 40 percent to help Americans who needed a little extra help get by through a challenging economic time, the work we did to get a Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill passed, and to rebuild our place in the world,” Psaki said, and listed several other accomplishments that included confirming a historically diverse slate of judges and actions on climate change.

In terms of a mistake, Psaki said “I will let the President speak to that the next time you all see him.”

“But did he underestimate Donald Trump’s continued grip on the Republican Party and how difficult that would make it to work across the aisle and unite the nation?” Psaki was asked on follow-up.

Psaki replied, “You know, I will tell you that hearing Kevin McCarthy talk today, for an example, and seeing what he said on January 21st last year is a pretty stark reminder of how much sway the former president has over members of his party.”

“I think that’s disappointing for everybody, not just people who work here,” Psaki said.

Psaki was referring to a press conference that featured a contentious grilling about the House Select Committee Investigating the Jan. 6 Attack on the Capitol — with which McCarthy has declined to cooperate — during which McCarthy seemed to lose all touch with verifiable facts and reality.

Among other things, McCarthy claimed not to remember a phone call with Trump that he told lawmakers about shortly after the attack, in which Trump took some responsibility for the riot.

Watch above via The White House.