MSNBC’s Lemire Asks Jen Psaki Why Biden Made ‘Not One Mention of the Jan. 6 Insurrection’ in SOTU Speech

MSNBC host Jonathan Lemire asked White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki why President Joe Biden didn’t mention the January 6 insurrection during the State of the Union address.

President Biden spoke for over an hour during his first SOTU, spending a good 20 percent of that time discussing Ukraine and Russia, and then covering a range of other topics that included his tax plan, his Cancer Moon Shot, militant venison, and many others.

On Wednesday morning’s edition of MSNBC’s Way Too Early, host Jonathan Lemire asked Psaki about a subject that was absent from the Biden docket: the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Psaki pointed to the president’s blistering speech on the anniversary of the attack, and argued that Bide did address the issues underlying that day:

MR. LEMIRE: Pivoting to the president’s domestic agenda, the State of the Union. As you well know, is his largest stage he’ll likely have this year. It’s his bully pulpit to press for what he wants to get done. But he made not one mention last night of the Jan. six insurrection. Why is that?

MS. PSAKI: Well, I think first that for anybody who watched the president’s speech just over a month ago, or maybe six weeks ago, you heard how passionately he felt about that day, that horrible day in history, and what he has done since then is continue to talk about and stand up for democracy.

What you heard the president talk about last night is the importance of democracies prevailing over autocracies, of standing up and believing that that is what makes us stronger: being united in this country and being united abroad. That is very much with the theme of his January 6 speech was, just six weeks ago, and how he thinks we all should be thinking about this period in our own history.

So look, a speech like the State of the Union, it’s hugely important it doesn’t touch on. It doesn’t have the time to touch on everything that is a priority. And there’s no question that continuing to take steps to support the efforts to hold those perpetrators accountable is a priority for him, and continuing to stand up as a leader of the United States for what that day really showcased, the need to stand up for democracies, will be something the American people keep hearing from him.

Watch above via MSNBC.