WATCH: Jen Psaki Fields Questions About Cosby Release, Expresses Biden’s Support for Rape Survivors
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki was repeatedly questioned about disgraced actor Bill Cosby’s release from prison, and expressed President Joe Biden’s support for survivors of sexual assault.
News of Cosby’s release on a disputed legal technicality broke shortly before Wednesday’s daily briefing, and Psaki was asked about the case by NBC News White House correspondent Peter Alexander. In keeping with (most) past precedent, Psaki avoided commenting about the specific case, but spoke about the president’s long advocacy for women, and support for survivors.
Q Last question is making headlines across the country right now. We just heard from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court that Bill Cosby’s conviction for sexual assault has been overturned. They can no longer pursue those same charges against him in the future. Right now, the President, obviously, has a long commitment to violence — the Violence Against Women Act that he helped write. The White House’s reaction to that, first of all?
MS. PSAKI: Well, first, as you noted, those reports just came out shortly before I came out here. I don’t have a direct response from the White House to that announcement. I will say — which you touched on — on — I’ll just use the opportunity to reiterate that the President has long been an advocate for fighting against violence against women, for ensuring that we are raising the voices and the stories of people who have been survivors of sexual assault. That’s something he has done throughout his career and will continue to do. But I don’t have a specific comment on that announcement today. If we do have one after the briefing, I’ll make that available to all of you.
CNN’s Kaitlan Collins took another crack at it several minutes later, and Psaki supplemented her earlier answer.
And on the Bill Cosby conviction being overturned, I know what you said to Peter, but it’s not because he’s innocent; it’s because of a decision that a former prosecutor made. So what message do you think that that sends to women, you know, in the Me Too era who come forward with sexual assault allegations and to see something like this happen? What is your response to that?
MS. PSAKI: Well, I would say, Kaitlan, that I just want to be careful about not speaking to a specific decision by a court. But I can say, broadly speaking, as I tried to do earlier, that obviously the President is somebody who has fought for, advocated for elevating the voices and stories of women who are survivors of sexual assault, sexual abuse, and certainly knows that’s a difficult journey for many of them. And he believes that these women are courageous, they’re brave, and he wants it to be an environment — he wants us to live in a country where they — where women will feel comfortable, moving forward, and telling their story.
But, again, if there’s a specific comment we have as it relates to this ruling today, I will provide that to all of you after the briefing.
Watch above via C-Span.
