NBC’s Kelly O’Donnell Asks Psaki if Biden is ‘Frustrated’ He’s Not Seen as ‘The Most Effective Communicator?’

NBC News White House correspondent Kelly O’Donnell asked White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki if President Joe Biden is ever “frustrated” he’s not seen as “as the most effective communicator himself.”

Ms. Psaki participated in a panel for the Bipartisan Policy Center moderated by Ms. O’Donnell, which also included White House Senior Adviser Cedric Richmond.

O’Donnell asked Psaki about the president’s perception of his effectiveness as a messenger, and Psaki responded in detail about what stands in the way of the Biden “magic”:

MS. O’DONNELL: …I think outside observers would not always view this president as the most effective communicator himself. He has at times been criticized for not being able to carry his message. At times, he’s also very folksy and is able to connect with people one on one. But this White House has struggled at times with the message on issues whether it’s COVID, whether it’s the domestic agenda. You’ve also been, of course, hit with lots of issues, as every White House is that are not of your own making that are the forces that happen to any White House? Do you feel that the president is at times frustrated by how he is perceived as his own messenger?

MS. PSAKI: It’s an interesting question. Look, I think every president probably is frustrated at moments when they are not, do not feel like their views, their passions, their policies are being heard and digested. There’s lots of reasons for that. You know, there are good questions that, I know this is not a panel about this, but like, are long speeches, still effective means of communicating with the public. Probably not, right? I mean, we know that because if there’s a mean a a lot of ways that people digest information. Would he like to be traveling a lot more out in the country? We’ve been talking about this for a while. Yes. And he’s..

MS. O’DONNELL: Right now you’re doing…

MS. PSAKI: …Is I mean, he’s he’s traveling three times this week, and in some ways I look at there are limitations that have been imposed upon him and us because of COVID that I think have not allowed people to see at all times what what his magic is, right? Which is his ability to connect and be empathetic and talk to people and hear their stories. And often a lot of that is just spontaneous. And because he hasn’t been traveling much, I think that’s been limiting. But I do think the speeches, I mean, we’ve kind of, we’ve done fewer speeches in some ways. And like every White House, you’re always trying to think about how to break out of the bubble of things. So I don’t know. It’s a constant debate. But as you noted also, there are realities of what we have to communicate about. And if you’re in the White House, you have to communicate about everything happening in the world, right? You’re asked about everything…

Watch above via C-Span.